Sambalpur: A male elephant calf who on Tuesday night had fallen into an abandoned well at Panpali village under Kuchinda police limits was rescued on Wednesday by forest and fire brigade personnel. He was in the well for five hours.
The villagers spotted the calf in the well and informed the forest department officials. “A trench was dug for the rescue operation,” said range officer of Kuchinda forest range Rajendra Nayak. The elephant started attacking people standing near the well after being rescued. Forest personnel chased it away. It also damaged a motorcycle and the tiled roof of a house before entering the forest.
The elephant had come from Lariapali forest under Jharsuguda forest division. “A herd of 15 elephants is regularly coming out of the Lariapali forest at night in search of fodder. “We had information about the herd. We were also tracking their movement and chasing them away. This elephant might have fallen into the well while returning,” said Naik.