Male elephant, calf rescued from well near Krishnagiri

KRISHNAGIRI: Forest department officials rescued a male elephant and its calf from an open well near Jawalagiri in Krishnagiri district on Wednesday morning. The elephants, part of a 27-member herd, fell into the well in the early hours of Wednesday while they were moving from the Denkanikottai forest range to the Jawalagiri forest range.

The 15-year-old tusker and its one-year-old calf fell into the 15-foot-deep well in Kundalam village around 2am.

Forest staff members monitoring the herd informed Hosur forest division wildlife warden Bagan Jagdish Sudhakar, who instructed them to carry out the rescue.

Jawalagiri forest range officer (FRO) Arivalagan and team reached the village with an earthmover. The mother elephant initially prevented them from approaching the well, but they managed to drive her away.

"We created a slope to help the elephants exit the well," the FRO said. The elephant and its calf climbed out of the well around 4 am and reunited with the female elephant. "The three elephants later joined the herd," the FRO added.