Leopard rescued from 70ft deep well in Ballalwadi

A 1.5 years old male leopard was rescued from a 70-foot well in Ballalwadi located in Junnar sub-division of Pune district by Maharashtra forest department and Wildlife SOS on Saturday. The animal is under medical observation.

A farmer heard frantic roars of an animal echoing from a well near a field in the early hours of the morning. He found the leopard struggling to stay afloat in waist-deep water. The forest department and Wildlife SOS team were alerted and a three-member team rescued the leopard.

“Sometimes leopards enter village chasing stray dogs, and with shrubs covering the well, they fall in the well,” said Ajit Shinde, range forest officer, Ballalwadi.

Crowd control measures were implemented by the team to manage onlookers as a trap cage was lowered into the well and, after a few attempts, the leopard entered the cage and was rescued.

“After being carefully loaded onto the back of the Wildlife SOS rescue vehicle, the leopard was transferred to the Leopard Rescue Centre for medical examination. The animal is exhausted from the ordeal and will be kept under observation for a few days till he is deemed fit for release,” said Nikhil Bangar, wildlife veterinary officer, Wildlife SOS.