Leopard falls in well, rescued by forest officals

Nashik : A thirsty leopardess, which had fallen into a well in Palse village Friday night, was rescued early Saturday by forest officials even as its male companion continued to prowl the area.

The leopardess fell into a well located near Nashik Sugar Factory's main gate, belonging to farmer Ramesh Adke.

The leopard accompanying it started roaring and trying to extricate it from the well. Hearing the sound, the locals got scared and closed the doors and windows of their houses.

However, when the growling continued, some of the villagers realised that the noise was coming from the well and called the police and forest officials. Armed with sticks, they reached the well, setting it on fire with torches. That’s when they saw the leopardess trapped inside the well, trying to claw her way out.

Palse villager Bharat Tile said that the forest officials were called at 12.30am and Range Forest Officer (RFO), Prashant Khairnar, reached the site by 1 am. Mr Khairnar said that as soon as he received the call, he summoned his associates and left for the site. “It was chilly and we realised that the leopardess would die of cold if it did not drown. It was impossible to wait until dawn and we had to act swiftly,” he said.

He further said, “Fortunately, the water was at a depth of 10 to 12 feet from the ground and we threw in a ladder. The feline needed coaxing to climb the ladder. With so many villagers peering into the well, the leopardess was scared and unwilling to climb up.”

“Finally, it clawed its way up the ladder which was kept facing a sugarcane field. As soon as the leopardess came out of the well, it bounded off into the field,” he added.