Forest officials rescued a seven-year-old leopard that had fallen into a 15-metre-deep well in the west-central Indian state of Maharashtra on Monday.
According to local media, residents of the Pimpalgaon Rotha village heard panicked roars echoing from deep within the open well at around 9 a.m.
Seeing that the leopard was drowning in the waist-deep water, they alerted officials, who turned to a Wildlife SOS team for help.
While waiting for the team to arrive, officials first lowered a platform into the well so that the terrified leopard could clamber onto the makeshift platform for temporary support.
The leopard rests on a platform before being rescued.
“The leopard was in a state of panic and had to be rescued immediately,” said Dr. Ajay Deshmukh, senior veterinarian at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre.
Later, the Wildlife SOS team drifted a trap cage in the well with the open door angled towards the leopard.
The animal jumped into the cage and was quickly lifted out of the well.
Wildlife SOS staff and villagers pull the leopard to safety.
According to Deshmukh, the leopard was healthy and fit for release after a thorough physical examination.
Source: Read Full Article