Bear Rescued Unharmed from Village Well in Odisha’s Malkangiri

The incident occurred in MPV-26 village under Kalimela block, where residents discovered the animal trapped inside the well early in the morning. Forest department officials said the bear had been sighted moving along the village periphery late on Thursday night, suggesting it may have strayed into the settlement after dark.

Upon receiving an alert from villagers, a forest rescue team reached the site and initiated a carefully coordinated operation. Using safety nets and specialised equipment, officials managed to lift the bear out of the well after nearly two hours. The animal did not sustain any visible injuries during the rescue, authorities said.

Preliminary observations indicate that the bear may have entered the village in search of food, a pattern increasingly reported from forest-adjacent areas of southern Odisha. After the rescue, forest veterinarians examined the animal and administered precautionary treatment. Officials confirmed that the bear’s condition is stable and that it will be released back into its natural habitat following medical observation.

While the episode ended without harm to either villagers or the animal, it revived concerns over rising human–wildlife interactions in the region. Expanding cultivation, shrinking forest buffers and the availability of food sources near habitations have been cited by conservationists as factors drawing wildlife closer to villages.

Residents of Malakangiri urged authorities to take preventive measures, including securing open wells and strengthening early-warning systems, to reduce the likelihood of such encounters in the future.