Killer wells of maharashtra strike again, second leopard rescued in just one week

NP NEWS 24 ONLINE- In a dramatic rescue operation which lasted nearly 4 hours, an approx. Three year old  female leopard was rescued from a 50 foot deep well in gulunchwadi village located in otur, maharashtra. The animal was rescued by wildlife sos & the forest department and is currently under observation at the manikdoh leopard rescue center.

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It turned out to be quite an action packed sunday for the wildlife sos team operating out of the manikdoh leopard rescue center in junnar. Just a week after the rescue of a female leopard from a 30 foot deep well in a village in otur range, the ngo was alerted to another incident of a leopard trapped inside a well in gulunchwadi village in otur. On finding the majestic feline in peril, the concerned locals immediately contacted the forest department who in turn alerted wildlife sos.

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A five member rescue team led by wildlife sos senior veterinarian dr. Ajay deshmukh accompanied by six forest officers rushed to the location. The situation took a complicated turn, as the nearly 50 foot deep well was connected to an adjoining well at the bottom and the leopard was ambling frantically from one end to the other. The team lowered a trap cage down in hopes that the leopard would jump right in, however, on seeing the unfamiliar metal box the petrified animal darted towards a narrow crevice between the two wells.

A secondary plan had to be put into motion which required the team to physically go down the well and tranquilise the leopard from close proximity. Having years of experience on their hands, dr. Ajay deshmukh & wildlife sos veterinary assistant. Mahendra dhore stepped into the trap cage with necessary gear and tranquilising equipment, and were carefully lowered in.  Once they had a clear visual, dr. Ajay used a dart gun to sedate the leopard from inside the cage. The sedative kicked in within a few short minutes after which the duo transferred the animal into the cage. Soon after the wildlife sos team hopped into another trap cage and were safely pulled back up. The entire operation lasted almost four hours after which leopard was taken to the manikdoh leopard rescue centre for observation and any required treatment.

Dr. Ajay deshmukh, senior veterinarian at the manikdoh leopard rescue centre said, “the entire exercise had to be executed quickly with painstaking care.  Such rescue operations can be dangerous and need careful planning and calibration in order to ensure the safety of the animal as well as people. We are extremely grateful to the forest department for their cooperation and for their assistance in making this rescue a success.”

Mahendra dhore, wildlife sos veterinary assistant said, “the leopard is a 3 year old female. We are keeping her under close observation while she recuperates from this stressful experience.”

Kartick satyanarayan, co-founder & ceo of wildlife sos said, “this is an all too familiar scenario in india. Open wells and uncovered water tanks dotting buffer areas continue to pose a threat to animals residing close by. In the interest of public safety, appropriate measures must be taken to prevent such incidents from taking place in the future.”

In the last decade around 1,500 animals, including leopards, jackals, jungle cats, sambars and hyenas, have reportedly died after falling into open wells and uncovered water tanks, making these a growing threat to wildlife in maharashtra.