A dramatic rescue unfolded after a mother elephant with her calf was pulled out of a 25-foot-deep well, where they had been trapped for nearly a day and a half. Forest officials and villagers worked tirelessly to free the pair, who were eventually reunited with the larger herd.

The incident took place in Hesapoda village, located in the Gola range of Ramgarh district, in northern India’s Jharkhand, on September 25.

Visuals from the site showed the distressed elephants struggling inside the narrow well, their massive bodies wedged against the earthen walls. Villagers crowded around as a rescue team led by the Forest Department began its operation using a JCB excavator and ropes. After hours of coordinated efforts, the animals were successfully pulled out.

Speaking to Newslions, Ramgarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Nitish Kumar, the rescue involved five forest guards and heavy machinery. “The operation lasted about two hours, and both elephants were rescued safely,” he said, adding that the animals had likely been trapped for around 36 hours before officials were alerted.

The well, dug under the government’s rural employment scheme (MGNREGA), had no protective parapet wall and was partially concealed by bushes, making it invisible to the elephants as they crossed farmland at night. Villagers reported that the elephants survived because of shallow water inside the well, which cushioned their fall.

Forest officials emphasized the importance of preventive measures to avoid such accidents. “This incident highlights the urgent need to construct protective barriers around open wells in elephant corridors,” Kumar said. “Such steps will prevent future tragedies and safeguard both wildlife and local communities.”

The herd of 42 elephants continues to move through the Bokaro range, and officials plan to monitor whether the rescued mother with her calf can successfully reunite with them.

The rescue underscores both the challenges of human-wildlife coexistence as well as the dedication of frontline forest teams in protecting endangered species like elephants.