Mother and baby elephant rescued from well

Berhampur, Orissa, Jul 8 (UNI) One mother and a baby elephant trapped inside a large open well were successfully rescued today by the forest officials.

The Forest officials had detected the mother-baby pachyderms inside the well located in a private vegetable crop land at Satuli village under Santoshpur panchayat in Khallikote forest range in Ganjam district, about 70-km from here this morning.

The rescue operation by the Forest officials in collaboration with the Fire Brigade, police and the local people started at noon which lasted for four hours, according to DFO Ajaya Kumar Jena.

Both pachyderms weighting tons hailing from Chandaka forest fallen inside an dry open well of 15 feet diameter and about 15 feet deep meant for irrigating the pumpkin crops.

Mr Jena said, '' We first of all filled up the pit with water to enable the mother-baby pachyderms to swim up above but then we realised that it would be impossible to lift them physically. '' A slope on one side of the pit was then constructed and it helped both mother and the baby elephant come out with the support of a 'balla' by tightening it with ropes, the DFO said.

The pachyderms were rushed to nearby Ranibar forest soon after they were rescued.

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