A sloth bear slipped into 40-foot deep well while reaching out to the honeycombs on the periphery of the well located almost 700 metres from neighbouring forest, in Thovinakkere near Tumkur in Karnataka. The bear was in search of food and the well is home to a plethora of wildlife species. It required some efforts by the forest officials and volunteers of an NGO to pull the bear out of the well.

After preliminary assessment, the animal was tranquilised for the rescue operations. A four-member rescue team led by Dr Nithin Gowda, Wildlife SOS veterinarian, along with forest department officials rushed to the location, with the necessary equipment.

Elaborating upon the rescue operation, the Wildlife SOS official said, “A large safety net was lowered down into the well and the animal was safely extricated.”

 “Rescues like these can be exceptionally nerve-wracking as both the safety of the public and the animal need to be kept in mind," the official said, adding, "In a two-hour long wearing rescue operation carried out with Karnataka Forest Department, finally the male sloth bear was rescued from the deep well."

According to Wildlife officials, "On hearing the distressed cries of the animal, the landowner instantly reported the incident to the district forest department who in turn contacted us."

Dr Gowda said, "On arrival, we found the bear struggling at the bottom of the 40-foot deep well. After following the necessary safety measures, our team was able to lift the bear from the well. Following that, a complete orthopaedic examination was carried out to assess any internal injuries the bear might have sustained owing to its fall. After mandatory observation, the sloth bear was released back into the wild."

Explaining about the behaviour of the sloth, Dr Arun A Sha, Director-Wildlife Veterinary Operations, said, "There has been a significant increase in the number of such occurrences. The inhabited areas on the fringes of the forests usually have uncovered wells that pose a huge risk to the safety of wildlife and people. We also urge people to address the issue of open wells, to evade any such accidents in the future."

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder & CEO, Wildlife SOS said, "Over the years, the natural habitat of these sloth bears has deteriorated due to increasing human encroachment and their population in the wild is threatened, putting them under the International Union for Conversation for Nature (IUCN) list of vulnerable species."