Keonjhar: A three-hour-long operation on Thursday helped in the rescue of a 25-year-old single-tusked elephant after it fell into an old stone well in Benayodi village under Sadar range.Sources said the tusker had barged into the garden of Narhari Nayak in search of food on Wednesday night. Startled by barking street dogs, it tried to flee and slipped into the 30-ft open well.Hearing the loud thud, the family rushed out and found the elephant trapped in the well. They immediately alerted the forest department, which, in turn, sought help from the fire services.Fire personnel pumped water into the well to raise the water level to over 20ft, allowing the tusker to stay afloat. They then dug through the side of the well to create an escape passage. “The elephant had fallen from a height and was injured,” said Duryodhan Patra, a local resident.As news spread in the morning, villagers from nearby areas gathered at the spot to witness the operation.The injured tusker, bleeding and agitated, attacked the JCB machine engaged in the rescue. It also damaged two houses and injured two elderly women who slipped and fell while trying to run away.Sources said the animal became aggressive after being teased by some people even as it was in pain.Keonjhar DFO Dhanraj H D said the elephant moved towards the forest near Tikarpada village after it was rescued. “A tracking team has been deployed to monitor its movement and health,” he said. He added that the overnight stress inside the well and the large crowd around it triggered the aggression.Forest officials said elephants often stray into villages in search of food and sometimes fall into open, unguarded wells. Last week, an elephant calf fell into a well in Kathbaunsuli village under the same range — raising concerns among wildlife officials and conservationists.
