In a dramatic rescue operation lasting nearly 15 hours, a sloth bear that fell into a dry well in Kaptipada under the Baripada forest division on Sunday was safely retrieved using a ladder. Forest officials confirmed that the bear walked on its own into the nearby forest after the rescue.
Rescue Operation Details
Forest department personnel faced significant challenges as crowds gathered near the spot, delaying the rescue. Divisional Forest Officer (Baripada) Gobinda Chandra Biswal stated, “After the crowd began to thin after 8 pm, we placed the ladder. With little effort, the bear came out at 9.15 pm. It had fallen into the well at 6 am. We kept a close watch throughout.”
The sloth bear, an adult, had strayed into the village area from a nearby forest early Sunday morning and accidentally fell into the well. Notably, there were no reports of the bear harming any individuals during its time in the human settlement.
No Tranquilization Required
Biswal added, “We did not have to use tranquilization. When it came out of the well, it looked perfectly agile. It had eaten something early on Sunday. Also, this was not a case of an errant animal that needed to be darted.” Sloth bears are generally not fast runners, and once the area was clear of people, the ladder was installed, allowing the bear to climb out and walk back to the forest.
In addition to the ladder, forest department personnel had prepared a cage, flashlight, food, and a net for any eventuality during the rescue. They were also ready with the net to capture the bear if it attempted to run further into human habitation or became aggressive. However, the rescue proceeded smoothly without the need for such measures.
