Wednesday evening was a tense one for Mahesh Kumar, an animal rescuer based in Nizamabad, Telangana. In a well on the outskirts of Bonkanpalli village, Makloor mandal, were three foxes – a mother and two – who had been stuck there without food and water for about five days. And as he descended into the well physically, he didn’t know what would happen.

Mahesh, a volunteer with Sri Datta Humane Services, was informed about the foxes when villagers’ as well as the forest officials’ attempts to rescue them had gone in vain. “The foxes were too scared and would tear the nets people were throwing into the well to capture them,” Mahesh told TNM.

So when Mahesh climbed down into the well with the help of a rope, he carried with him an empty plastic drum, some meat and a gunny bag.

“It took them two hours to get comfortable with me, and to trust me to not harm them. I waited for them to come to me. Then the cubs came to me and ate some meat,” he narrates.

The cubs were quite weak and a mother was injured, Mahesh said. “Usually, healthy foxes can survive for four to five days without food and water,” he added.

Once the foxes were comfortable with his presence, Mahesh put them in the drum and asked two men who had come with him, to pull the drum up with the rope. After this, they helped Mahesh climb out of the well.

Mahesh believes that the foxes, who search for prey in nearby areas, may have fallen into the well while chasing mice. He also said that deforestation may be the reason behind wild animals coming into human settlements.

The rescued foxes were released into a nearby forest after administering first aid, Mahesh said.