Wild elephant rescued from well after 20 hours in Malappuram

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Malappuram: A wild elephant that fell into a well in Oorngattiri near Areekode in Malappuram district was rescued after 20 hours. The weakened elephant was pulled out using an excavator around 10 pm on Thursday. The rescue operation was led by a 60-member forest department team.
The elephant was found in the 25-foot-deep well around 1.30 am on Thursday. The incident occurred in a well located on the farmland of Kurankal Sunny, an area that frequently experiences wild animal attacks.
According to reports, the elephant fell into the well when a herd of elephants entered the area the previous night. Locals often use firecrackers to drive away elephants that stray into human settlements. It is suspected that the elephant fell into the well while villagers were attempting to chase the herd away with firecrackers. The well, which was used only for agricultural purposes, did not have a protective wall around it.
The rescue was carried out after reaching an agreement with locals who had initially interrupted the operation. The forest department has reportedly assured Rs 1.50 lakh in compensation to the landowner for partially breaking the well to create a path for the elephant's rescue. Additionally, the department has agreed to construct solar fencing in the region at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore.
Earlier, locals had even blocked the excavator, expressing frustration over the delay in addressing the issue. They complained that a herd of elephants has been destroying crops and posing a threat to humans in the region for the past five to six months.