Three bears rescued from well

NABARANGPUR : Three wild bears including two cubs were rescued by forest officials a few hours after the animals fell into an abandoned well at Padalguda village on the outskirts of the district headquarters town on Wednesday. As per reports, the bears had entered a mango orchard in the village in search of food on Tuesday night and accidentally fell into the abandoned dry well. The orchard owner during his visit on Wednesday morning found the bears trapped inside his seven feet dry well. 

On being informed, forest officials rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. A team of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) also joined the drive and after a three-hour operation, they managed to rescue all the bears safely.The animals have been brought to the nursery of forest department here. After some days of treatment, they will be released in nearby forest.

Ailing tusker dies 
Jharsuguda: The ailing tusker, which had strayed into Buchkabahal area of Bagdihi forest range from neighbouring Sundargarh, died on Tuesday. Some villagers spotted the limping elephant on Thursday and informed the forest officials who rushed to the spot and started treatment. A team of doctors from OUAT, Bhubaneswar was treating the elephant aged between 10 and 12 years.

Veterinarians from Bagdihi and Laikera were also roped in by the forest department, but the injured elephant succumbed after four days of treatment. After autopsy was conducted at Sunamal, the carcass was buried and its tusks sent to Bhubaneswar for test, said ACF PK Dhal. Jharsuguda DFO Sushant Kumar also rushed to the spot.