Four elephants fall into well in Chhattisgarh sanctuary; rescue operation underway

Four elephants fell into an uncovered well at Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. Forest teams launched a rescue using excavators to build a ramp. Officials said measures are being taken to prevent such incidents.

Balodabazar: Four elephants fell into a well at Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar-Bhatapara district, prompting forest authorities to launch a major rescue operation on Tuesday, officials said.

The incident was reported in the morning at Hardi village in the wildlife sanctuary, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Arun Kumar Pandey told PTI. The well lacks an outer boundary wall.

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The official said some locals spotted the elephants struggling inside the well in the morning and immediately alerted the forest department. Senior forest officials, along with rescue teams, rushed to the site and an operation was launched to save the jumbos.

Earth-excavator machines were deployed, and a ramp was being constructed by digging the sides of the well to allow the pachyderms to climb out safely, the official said.

Forest officials were monitoring the situation closely to ensure the elephants were rescued without injury, he said.

The department has been working to cover open wells across all forest divisions with iron grills using CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) funds, to prevent such accidents in the future, he added.