Residents of Pimpalgaon Rotha village in Maharashtra, India, were alarmed by roars emanating from their 15m-deep well when a seven-year-old female leopard found herself stuck in the waist-deep waters.
Fearing that she may not survive much longer, the villagers called the Forest Department, which alerted the Wildlife SOS team at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Center.
While waiting for the Wildlife SOS team to drive approximately 80 kilometres to the village, the Forest Department team and villagers were able to lower a platform into the well for the leopard to clamber onto.
While waiting for the Wildlife SOS team to drive approximately 80 kilometres to the village, the Forest Department team and villagers were able to lower a platform into the well for the leopard to clamber onto.
Upon arrival, the Wildlife SOS team lowered a cage into the well, with its open door angled towards the leopard, who quickly leapt to the dry spot. The cage was then closed and lifted out of the well.
“The chief concern of the Wildlife SOS team centres around the wellbeing of the animal and their safe return to the natural habitat,” says Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS. “The entire exercise had to be quickly executed with painstaking care.”
“Existing on the periphery of human settlements, there is a need to initiate and implement ways for mutual coexistence for humans and animals, and stay vigilant in order to reduce such conflict-related issues,” Satyanarayan added.
After a physical examination, the leopard was deemed to be roughly seven years old, and fit and healthy for release back into the wild.
