Dramatic night operation saves elephant trapped in well in Odisha

In a dramatic late-night rescue operation, an elephant that had accidentally fallen into an open well in Champatimunda village under Angul block was successfully rescued by the Forest Department and Bantala Police on Saturday night.

According to reports, the elephant was wandering near the village when it slipped into an abandoned open well and got trapped. Villagers spotted the animal struggling to come out and immediately alerted forest officials.

A joint team of forest personnel and police rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation using a JCB machine. After a three-hour-long effort, stretching from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the team managed to pull the elephant out safely.

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Officials said the elephant appeared to be unharmed but exhausted after the ordeal. Forest staff kept watch over the animal to ensure its safe return to the nearby forest area.

Local residents praised the swift action of the rescue team, which prevented a potential tragedy and ensured the safety of the stranded elephant.

“We immediately informed the rescue team. With the help of the Bantala police, we reached here. We needed the help of the police as there was a heavy crowd which we could not control. But the villagers fully cooperated with us. To rescue the elephant, we dug a slope from the well using a JCB machine, and it eventually came out,” informed Udhab Behera, Angul Forest Ranger.