Forest officials rescued an elephant that fell into a deep well in Banajodi village under Sadar Block in Odisha’s Keonjhar district after a six-hour-long operation early Thursday.
The elephant reportedly strayed into the area in search of food before accidentally falling into the well. Forest personnel, assisted by Fire Services teams and a JCB machine, launched a challenging rescue. Officials dug a 10-foot trench to create an access path and pumped water into the well to aid the operation.
The well was partially broken open with the help of a JCB to ensure safe extraction. The coordinated effort continued for nearly six hours before the elephant was finally brought out. On Wednesday night, three elephants had separated from their herd, and one of them fell into the well, triggering the mission.
Authorities confirmed that the elephant was successfully rescued and moved back to safety. The operation highlighted the teamwork of the Forest Department and Fire Services in handling wildlife emergencies.
