Male leopard rescued from deep open pit by Wildlife SOS, Maharashtra Forest Department: Watch

The residents of Nimgaon Sava village heard an unfamiliar noise coming from a neighboring well.

Hesitant at first, the distressed leopard eventually climbed into the cage and was carefully lifted out.

Leopard rescue: With the dawn of a new day, another leopard faced agonizing tragedy when the animal was found captive in a 30-foot deep open pit in Nimgaon Sava village, located in Otur Forest Range, Junnar. Wildlife SOS and the Maharashtra Forest Department sprang into action to save an adult male leopard and then safely released it back into the wild.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBEPvcnGGI4

Recently, the residents of Nimgaon Sava village heard an unfamiliar noise coming from a neighboring well. As they approached, they saw a leopard struggling to stay afloat in the nearly 30-foot deep open pit. Concerned for the welfare of the animal, they immediately notified the Maharashtra Forest Department of the emergency. A rescue team from the Wildlife SOS Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Center was also called in to assist the forest rangers.

Equipped with the necessary rescue equipment such as ropes and a catch cage, the team immediately reached the location. After assessing the situation, the NGO team and forest management staff devised a strategy.

A trap cage was carefully lowered into the well. Hesitant at first, the distressed leopard eventually climbed into the cage and was carefully lifted out. The Wildlife SOS vet performed an on-site health assessment and handed over the leopard to the forestry department for release.

Dr. Chandan Sawne, Wildlife SOS Veterinary Officer said: “Once the leopard was pulled from the pit, we carried out an on-site health assessment. The leopard was an adult male about 9-10 years old. The animal had superficial scratches on its body, so we handed it over to forest management for release.”

Vaibhab Kakade, Range Forest Officer, Otur Forest Range said: “Due to the large number of people gathered at the site, the operation took nearly 5 hours. But a joint effort by our staff and the Wildlife SOS team led to the leopard’s successful rescue.”

Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS said: “During such rescues, time is of the essence as the leopards that fall into these pits suffer from fatigue and exhaustion. Therefore, open pits are still a major threat to wildlife such as leopards. But thanks to the joint effort of multiple stakeholders, such as the villagers and forest management, this rescue operation was successfully carried out.”