26 wild boars fell into an open well in Keonjhar in Odisha and were rescued

BHUBANESWAR: A large group of wild boars fell into an open well in Keonjhar district, prompting forest officials to launch a surprise rescue operation on Monday.

The incident took place near a crop field in a forest village in Balabhadrapura, near Naranpur division of the Keonjhar range, an official of the Keonjhar divisional division said.

Last night, a group of 27 wild boars ventured into farmland near Balabhadrapur forest in search of food when they fell into an open well, probably due to a sudden movement that caused the animals to scatter, officials said.

After receiving the message, the forestry team immediately reached the spot and rescued the wild boars with the help of an excavator. A ramp was made along which the wild boars could exit to safety.

“The young boar may have fallen into the well first, causing the rest of the party to dive in to rescue the stuck boar,” Keonjhar ACF Ashok Kumar Das said.

According to him, one wild boar died as a result of the incident, and the remaining 26 members of the herd were safely rescued and released back into the forest.

Das said the well was dug in a private farm and the farmer was asked to cover it to prevent recurrence of such incidents.