Elephant Rescued from 25-Foot Well Near Sullia After 7-Hour Operation

Mangalore Today News Network

Sullia, Apr 14, 2026: In a well-coordinated operation, forest department personnel rescued a wild elephant that had fallen into a 25-foot-deep abandoned well at Kalcharpe near Peraje on Monday.

The male elephant, estimated to be 20–22 years old, is believed to have fallen into the well on the edge of a plantation owned by Rama Naik around 11:30 pm on Sunday. Alerted by the animal’s distress calls, the family informed the forest department.

Acting on instructions from senior officials, the rescue team began operations at 6 am, deploying a Hitachi excavator to carve a sloped escape path. After nearly seven hours of effort, the elephant successfully climbed out at around 12:50 pm.

Tension briefly prevailed when the elephant charged toward the nearby national highway after emerging, brushing past the excavator. However, forest personnel managed to divert it away from human habitation using firecrackers.

The elephant later moved through the plantation and eventually returned to the Poomale forest range.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of senior forest officials, with support from police, fire brigade, veterinary staff, and the Elephant Task Force, who assisted in rescue and crowd control.