Local residents stop forest staff after an elephant fell into a well at Urangattiri in Malappuram district on January 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Sakeer Hussain

An elephant that fell into a well at Urangattiri, near Areekode, in the district was rescued and driven back into the forest after a day-long protests and uncertainties on Thursday. The day-long tension and concerns about the tusker’s health ended when the authorities clinched a deal with the protesting local residents and rescued the elephant nearly 20 hours after its fall.

The forest staff built a ramp into the well by digging the sidewall with a earthmover. The elephant climbed out of the well around 10 p.m. and was driven into the jungle, ending the day-long drama.

The elephant fell into the well in a plantation belonging to farmer Sunny Koorangallu in the early hours of January 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu

The people were assured of immediate and tangible measures, including a 7-km-long fencing and a compensation of ₹1.5 lakh to the well’s owner, as part of the successful rescue mission.

The elephant fell into the well in a plantation belonging to farmer Sunny Koorangallu in the early hours of Thursday, triggering an uproar by the residents. Pointing out frequent elephant raids and attacks in the area, the local people raised a banner of protest and prevented the forest officials from rescuing the elephant.

The elephant started exhibiting signs of exhaustion after remaining immobile the whole day in the well even as the authorities held several rounds of discussions with the protesters.

The protesters prevented the rescue attempts by the forest staff even as the local political leaders too sided with them, posing a challenge for the forest and wildlife authorities.

P.V. Anvar, who was MLA of Nilambur until he resigned two weeks ago after a standoff with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), said that the elephant should be buried alive. He said rescuing the elephant would aggravate the farmers’ problems.

District Congress Committee president V.S. Joy said that the forest staff would have to face the wrath of the people if the elephant returns to their farms after the rescue.

Nilambur North Divisional Forest Officer P. Karthik said they would rescue the elephant without antagonising the people.

When people demanded that the elephant should be tranquilised within the well, the forest staff warned them that it would endanger the animal’s life. “It’s too risky. We will dart the animal only after bringing it out of the well by breaking the sidewalls. We are sympathetic to the people, and would translocate the bull after rescuing it,” said Mr. Karthik.

The DFO warned that the elephant had started showing symptoms of fatigue as its condition deteriorated by evening. Wildlife officials had warned that any further delay might badly affect the bull’s life and jeopardise the rescue attempts.