Chennai, May 29 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Forest Department on Wednesday safely rescued an elephant cub from a 30-feet deep well in Kolapellur in the Nilgiris district, and reunited it with its waiting mother, officials said.
The elephant cub, according to local people, fell into the well late on Tuesday night.
Forest Department officials were informed and by 3 a.m., a group of 40 officials led by Gudalur DFO, Vengatesh Prabhu, reached the spot and rescued the elephant cub by the evening after herculean efforts.
Officials told IANS that immediately after the elephant cub fell into the well, a herd of elephants camped near it, and first, the Forest Department team had to drive these elephants away so that they could commence the rescue operation.
Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests, Supriya Sahu in a post on X said: “A very heartening news is coming in just now about the successful rescue and reunion of a juvenile elephant in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu Foresters in Gudalur Forest Division in Nilgiris have successfully rescued a juvenile elephant from a 30 feet deep sand well in a farmland where the young elephant had accidentally fallen.”
“After 8 hours of challenging battle the team succeeded in making a ramp for the elephant to safely walk out of the well. After the rescue the team united the baby elephant with her mother who patiently waited nearby with the herd. Big appreciation to DFO Gudalur, Vengatesh Prabhu who led the operation with a team of 40 people from 3 am onwards.”
–IANS
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