Trapped wild baby elephant rescued in Kerala, India!
A wild baby elephant fell into a well at Thoompakulam near Thannithode in Pathanmthitta, Kerala, was rescued by Ranni Forest officials. The magnificent Asian elephant is threatened by extinction in the wild, as human populations grow, its fast shrinking habitat forces wild elephant to explore new habitats in search of food and water. When this happens they are grave danger from poachers, or man-made potential danger areas.
The baby elephant, fell into the well lying in the property of Melthattu Puthenpurayil Somarajan in the morning. The calf was trapped within the four walls, of well in the near by property owned by Melthattu Puthenpurayil Somarajan, and struggled to raise itself back up.
The locals calmed the elephant by feeding banana leaves and water, whilst Shaji Francis, a plantation work who after hearing elephant squeals, he alerted the forest authorities and soon emergency rescue was on it way. Local villagers tried their own rescue operations by creating a slope by removing sand but the elephant still struggled to keep its footing on the slanted wall as the soil buckled under its weight . Officials of the Ranni Forest Janardhanan Vadaseerikkara along with local residents rescued the trapped elephant within hours and set it free in to the forests.
Over the past decade people have invaded elephants natural habitat changing the landscape through agriculture and settlements, and elephants are forced from their disappearing and enter into human settlements.
Recently another female elephant fell down an open well in Odisha, India , suffering massive injuries. She struggled for her life in the muddy waters and was eventually rescued. She was one of the lucky ones. People came to help. She grappled with the slippery bank heaving her huge frame from the filthy pit. She would fall back and with each great effort would lose a little more energy.
Elephants play a crucial role in their ecosystem as they are the architects of their landscape – clearing up woodlands as they feed and roam, which allow new plants to grow and naturally regenerate the forest.
They also play a vital role in larger seed dispersal, as without elephants these larger seeds would either be dispersed over shorter distances, dispersed less often, or not dispersed at all. This would enhance the natural structure and functioning of the forest ecosystem – which is vital to other animals and human beings.
There have now been 8 reported incidents of elephants falling into man-made wells less than a year with many more feared to be going unreported in remote parts of India where thousands of abandoned wells are potential danger for wild elephants.
As wild elephants lose more habitat, they are forced out of their natural home and tread to human settlements in search of food and water. They fall into uncovered wells.