Ernakulam: After a 16-hour effort, the Forest Department managed to rescue a wild elephant that fell into a well in a rubber plantation near Kothamangalam, on Friday.
The department constructed a ramp using an earthmover to rescue the elephant before chasing it to the forest.
Meanwhile, the villagers of Plachery in the Kottappady panchayat protested against the department for not tranquillizing the elephant. They said the officials had assured them the elephant would be tranquilised before the rescue.
The officials said they considered the proposal to tranquilise the elephant because the owner of a nearby land initially objected to taking the earthmover through his property. However, the officials managed to convince him.
The district administration had invoked prohibitory orders in four wards of the Kottappady panchayat, and people of the locality were evacuated. The rescue mission was broadcast on news channels, and it appeared the elephant had suffered injuries.
