Malappuram: An elephant fell into a well at Odakkayam in the Urangattiri panchayat during the early hours of Thursday, amid widespread complaints of elephant disturbances across the ward. The animal was wandering in the area when it accidentally fell into a resident’s well. Rescue operations are being led by the forest department and the police.

Residents said that elephants have been destroying acres of crops daily, disrupting their lives for the past few weeks. Ward member P S Jinesh had alerted forest officials on Wednesday about the presence of elephants in the area and requested action to drive them away. However, by around 12.30 am, before additional teams, including the Rapid Response Team (RRT) from Nilambur and forest officials from Kodumpuzha, could arrive, the elephant had fallen into the well.

Local residents have insisted that the elephant, once rescued, should not be released back into the area but instead relocated to a distant forest to prevent further disturbances.

The elephant has reportedly been destroying crops such as coconut, areca nut, and rubber during its nighttime raids. The fear of elephants has also forced workers in the hilly regions to suspend rubber tapping activities. Though night travel through the ward remains dangerous, no effective measures have been taken by authorities to address the issue, according to local residents.

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