MALAPPURAM: A wild elephant fell into a 25-foot-deep well on private land at Vettilappara in Urangattiri panchayat in the early hours of Thursday. The incident occurred around 1 AM.
Forest officials, led by the Nilambur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), arrived at the site later in the morning to initiate the rescue operation.
However, the forest officials faced protests from local residents, who accused them of failing to address the ongoing issues caused by wild elephants in the area. The protesters demanded that the elephant be relocated to a forest far from Urangattiri.
"We want this elephant to be rescued and taken to another forest far from Urangattiri. The animal frequently causes panic in the area. On Wednesday, a bike rider narrowly escaped after encountering the elephant. It destroys banana plants, betel nut trees, and coconut trees, making agricultural activities nearly impossible. We haven't slept properly in the last three nights because we’ve been up until 3 AM trying to drive the elephants away," said a resident.
The residents also criticised the forest officials for failing to protect them from wild animals. They claimed that, despite repeated requests, no fencing had been installed along the forest border to prevent wild animals from entering their area.
Meanwhile, Jyothishkumar M, a member of the Urangattiri panchayat, said the forest officials were awaiting orders from higher authorities to proceed with the rescue operation. "The residents want the elephant to be relocated to a distant forest. However, the forest officials need permission from higher authorities to act on this demand. Currently, they are waiting for orders to begin the rescue operation," he said.
Nilambur North DFO Karthik said that the rescue operation would consider the suggestions of the residents.
"One option is to rescue the elephant and release it into the nearby forest. However, if we choose to tranquillise the elephant, its behaviour after the first dose of tranquilliser is unpredictable. While the first option is simpler compared to the second, we will factor in the residents' concerns before deciding on the rescue plan," Karthik explained.