Hours-long ordeal came to an end for a baby elephant in Kannur after it was rescued from a dry well on Wednesday evening. In a joint effort, residents of Shimoga colony in Kannur’s Chandanakampara along with the Forest Department officials demolished one side of the well and rescued the calf.
“The baby elephant was part of a herd of wild elephants which crossed the colony on Tuesday night. The well was shut with a concrete slab and the calf fell into it after it stepped on the slab and broke it. Residents noticed the elephant only in the morning,” said Vinod, head constable of the Payyavur police station.
The dry well which was about 7 metre deep was initially dug up for water. However, it was soon turned into a septic tank by colony residents when they could not find water in it.
Rescue efforts by forest officials were delayed by a few hours as residents of the colony protested against the wild elephant menace in the area. The calf was fed jackfruit by residents over the last 12-18 hours during which it was trapped, according to Vinod.
“When officials first came, residents did not allow for the calf to be rescued as they wanted the damage caused to their farmland by the elephants to be addressed first. Finally, the DFO (District Forest Officer) arrived and promised to find a solution to the elephant menace after which residents relented,” said Vinod.
Apart from the Forest Department, over 75 police personnel from Kannur also participated in the rescue operation. As there was no earth mover, the colony folks used hand tools to dig up the side of the well. After the well was knocked down, the calf struggled to scale the steep slope but finally managed to exit the well and go back into the forest.
On Wednesday, the Forest Department will hold a meeting with the people of Shimoga colony to address the wild elephant menace.
Watch the elephant rescue video here: