Khunti (Jharkhand), March 2 (IANS) A wild elephant that had strayed into a residential area of the district headquarters in Jharkhand’s Khunti fell into an open well in the Dandtoli (Anigara) locality on Monday noon, triggering panic among residents.
The animal, however, was rescued safely by the Forest Department after nearly two hours of coordinated efforts.
According to officials, the elephant fell into an open well belonging to a local resident, Dimba Lohar, around Monday noon. Upon receiving information, teams from the Forest Department and local administration rushed to the spot and launched an immediate rescue operation.
Using a JCB machine, officials carefully cut and levelled the soil on one side of the well to create a slope, enabling the elephant to climb out on its own.
After emerging from the well, the elephant crossed the nearby national highway at Anigara and moved towards Pokla village.
Thousands of onlookers gathered at the site as news of the elephant falling into the well spread, leading to chaotic scenes.
While guiding the elephant out of danger was relatively smooth, officials said managing the swelling crowd proved to be a major challenge.
Authorities had to repeatedly appeal to people to maintain distance to prevent further risk.
The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Khunti said the elephant appears to have impaired vision in one eye and possibly poor sight in the other, which may have contributed to its disoriented movement through the town.
He added that the animal looked weak and hungry and sustained minor injuries due to the fall, but has not displayed aggressive behaviour so far.
According to local reports, the elephant had first reached Bhoot village via the Bhandra area on Sunday morning. After being chased by villagers, it retreated towards the Patratoli forest but re-entered the Datia locality of the town on Monday morning.
The animal reportedly traversed several busy areas, including DAV Road, the Daily Market, Nagar Bhavan, behind Lobin Garden, Amritpur, the Forest Department checkpoint, and Forest Housing in Khunti town.
It crossed Main Road, Bazaar Tand and Tamar Mor before finally reaching Dandtoli in Anigara, where it fell into the well.
Videos of the elephant roaming through the town and the subsequent rescue operation have gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention.
Forest officials have urged the public to avoid crowding and to maintain a safe distance from the animal. They said efforts are underway to monitor the elephant closely and safely relocate it back to its natural habitat to prevent further incidents.
–IANS
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