An elephant was successfully rescued after remaining trapped for nearly two hours in a small pond in Sundargarh district on Wednesday morning.
The incident occurred in Goldaru village under the Birmitrapur Range. According to sources, the elephant had entered the village early in the morning to feed on crops in nearby agricultural fields. While villagers attempted to drive the animal away, it reportedly slipped into a small pond situated in the middle of the farmland and became stuck.
Upon receiving information, forest officials rushed to the spot and immediately launched a rescue operation with the support of local residents. A JCB machine was deployed to remove soil and create a gradual slope inside the pond, enabling the elephant to climb out safely.
Birmitrapur Ranger Sudeshna Pradhan stated that the incident took place around 8 am. She said that after being informed by the squad team, she and her staff reached the location promptly. With coordinated efforts involving forest personnel and the police ASI team, the elephant was rescued successfully.
After being freed from the pond, the elephant safely returned to the nearby forest area. No injuries were reported during the rescue operation.
The incident highlights both the increasing instances of human-elephant interaction in rural areas and the swift response of forest authorities in mitigating potential wildlife distress situations.
