Leopard falls into well in Kerala, dies soon after being pulled out in 8-hour-long rescue effort

Officials from the Forest and Wildlife Protection Department in Wayanad district of the state also arrived by afternoon.

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The rescue mission

First, the boundary wall of the well was demolished and, then, the water was drained out using a pump set, the forest official said. Thereafter, the leopard was captured in a net, pulled out halfway, and injected with a sedative.

Once it became unconscious, it was pulled out from the well, transferred to a cage, and sent to the veterinary lab of the forest department in Wayanad, the official said. However, the animal did not survive.

The rescue operation which began around 10 am ended at 6 pm, he said.

The big cat was in a weak condition after spending so much time in the well and was, therefore, being taken to the veterinary lab for treatment and observation, he said. But the animal soon died.

The area where the leopard was found is a densely populated area and the nearest forest is 15-20 km away, the official said.

Earlier this year in April, a large bear, which had fallen into a well in a residential area in the Thiruvananthapuram district, had drowned as it went underwater after being tranquilised.

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