Wild Elephant Pulled Out Of Well Near Sullia, Returns To Forest
The Elephant Task Force Team and night patrol staff too were part of the team: Reports
MANGALURU: Forest officials rescued a wild elephant that fell into an unused open well near Peraje in the Sullia forest range of Dakshina Kannada district on Monday afternoon. The elephant is believed to have fallen into the 30-feet-deep dilapidated well on a private land around midnight.
The place is situated on the forest edge at the foothills Western Ghats on Dakshina Kannada- Kodagu border. Forest personnel, alerted to the incident, rushed to the spot and began rescue operations early Monday morning.
The elephant task force and night patrol staff were part of the team.
Officials deployed earthmovers to remove soil around the well and created a gradual slope to facilitate the elephant to climb out and escape. The work began around 6 am. During the operation the elephant was also provided bananas and sugarcane and water.
The elephant eventually walked out safely and is believed to have returned to the forest. The rescue operation concluded around 1 pm. “The elephant has been rescued. No injuries are seen. It is healthy,” a senior officer told Deccan Chronicle.
Local residents said a herd of elephants had been moving in the region over the past few days, and it is suspected that the trapped animal had strayed from the group.
Dakshina Kannada district has witnessed frequent incidents of elephants entering villages and farmlands, leading to crop damage and posing risks to human life. In 2025, two fatalities were reported in separate elephant attacks in the district.