Locals rescue elephant calf from well in southern India

Forest officials and locals in Kothamangalam, Kerala, south India joined hands to rescue a wild elephant calf from a well in a rubber plantation on Tuesday.



According to forest rangers, the animal was part of a herd of elephants, looking for food when the calf failed to see the open well and fell in it. The animal's cries for help drew a crowd of locals, who looked on as the calf sloshed about in the shallow water, unable to escape.

The forest officials struggled to pull out the elephant calf, which fell in the well and resorted to using a crane to break the side wall of the well to free the trapped elephant. Veterinarians later examined the calf and declared that the animal had sustained injuries during the ordeal.


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Experts have repeatedly said that massive deforestation, poaching and encroachment in forest corridors force the elephants to move out of their natural habitats in search of food and water.