Elephant rescued from well in Latehar village

Daltongnaj: Forest officials successfully rescued an adult elephant from a 10-foot-deep well at Hemna village in Latehar district following a nightlong operation on Saturday and Sunday.
Range officer N K Mahto said that the elephant fell into an unmarked well, which was level with the surrounding field and lacked protective barriers. The incident occurred around 10 pm, prompting immediate rescue efforts using an earth mover to create an escape route for the trapped animal.
On Saturday, the same elephant had killed 35-year-old Sunita Devi in nearby Marangloiya village. "The villagers were determined to harm the elephant for the woman's death," Mahto said. "We had to temporarily suspend the rescue operation for several hours due to their aggressive stance. Operations resumed around 1 am on April 20 when the protesters dispersed."
The rescue team strategically used an earth mover to create a slope, enabling the elephant's escape. Fortunately, the elephant's herd didn't arrive at the scene, which could have significantly complicated the rescue efforts. Elephants are known to display solidarity with distressed herd members, potentially making such operations more dangerous.
The forest department has provided an initial compensation of Rs 40,000 to Sunita Devi's family, with the govt set to provide an additional Rs 4 lakh as per standard protocol for human casualties in wildlife encounters.