A baby honey badger was rescued by forest and fire department personnel after it fell into an abandoned well.

The incident occurred in Phasiguda village in Ganjam district, Odisha, eastern India, on February 21.

Visuals from the rescue show a firefighter carefully pulling the animal out of the well using a rope, while another man positions a ladder to prevent it from slipping. Once safely lifted, the honey badger is placed in a cage, where it moves in circles. A large crowd of onlookers gathered at the site, capturing the moment on their phones.

Dhiraj Bidhar, Leading Fireman (LFM), stated that villagers spotted the animal trapped inside the 40-foot-deep well and, mistaking it for a wild bear, alerted forest officials.

The fire department received the distress call around 7:00 AM, and a team from the forest department, assisted by firefighters from Sanakhemundi Fire Station, reached the scene. After a meticulous two-and-a-half-hour operation, the animal was successfully rescued by 9:30 AM.

The honey badger was later treated by local veterinarians and is reported to be in stable condition. "It will remain under observation for a few more days before being released into the wild," said S. Anand, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Paralakhemundi.