The leopard is under observation at Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre The leopard is under observation at Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre In an operation that lasted for almost four hours, a three-year-old female leopard was pulled out of a 50-feet-deep well in Gulunchwadi village, Otur, in Maharashtra on Sunday. The animal was rescued by Wildlife SOS and the Forest Department and is currently under observation at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre. A week after a female leopard was rescued from inside a 30-feet-deep well in a village in Otur range, the Wildlife SOS team, operating from the Manikdoh centre in Junnar tehsil of Pune district, was informed about another leopard in a well. Local residents had contacted the Forest Department who in turn alerted Wildlife SOS. A five-member team, led by Wildlife SOS senior veterinarian, Ajay Deshmukh, and six forest officers reached the spot. The operation, however, became complicated, as the well was connected to an adjoining one at the bottom and the leopard kept ambling from one end to the other. The team lowered a trap cage in the well with the hope that the animal would jump in. But seeing the cage, the animal darted towards a narrow crevice between the two wells. Another plan was put in motion, which required the team members to go down and tranquilise the leopard. Deshmukh and Wildlife SOS veterinary assistant Mahendra Dhore stepped into the cage with necessary gear and tranquilising equipment and they were lowered in. Once they had a clear visual, Deshmukh used a dart to tranquilise the animal. Later, it was put inside the cage. The entire operation lasted for almost four hours. The leopard was then taken to Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre for observation and treatment. Deshmukh, the senior veterinarian at the Manikdoh rescue centre, said: “Such rescue operations can be dangerous and need careful planning and calibration in order to ensure the safety of the animal as well as the people.” Dhore said: “We are keeping the animal under close observation while she recuperates from the stressful experience.” In the last decade, around 1,500 animals, including leopards, jackals, jungle cats, sambars and hyenas, have reportedly died after falling in open wells and uncovered water tanks in the state. Kartick Satyanarayan, the co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said: “Open wells and uncovered water tanks dotting the buffer areas continue to pose threats to animals. Appropriate measures must be taken to prevent such incidents.” For all the latest Pune News, download Indian Express App

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