A rescue team from Van Vihar, Bhopal, safely rescued a leopard that had fallen into a deep well near village Baniya, 20 km from Rehti, in Sehore district, last night. About 2,000 people gathered to witness the rescue operation which went on from 5 am to 3 pm on Saturday.
Praising the swift action of the departmental staff, Forest Minister Gaurishankar Shejwar lauded the efforts of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife Ravi Shrivastava, CCFs Atul Jain and Atul Shrivastava, Atul Gupta, other departmental officers Brahma Pratap Singh, Forest Ranger Gulab Singh Nagar and in-charge of flying squad Suresh and his team.
Forest Ranger Budhni Gulab Singh Nagar had informed at 3 am that the leopard had fallen in the well while chasing a goat. A team of Van Vihar including CCP rushed to the spot. The preparations for rescue started at 5 am after assembling local forest officers and employees. The team started the rescue operation at 8.30 am.
First, water was pumped out from the well. With a large number of spectators around, it was dangerous to bring out the leopard on a cot. Therefore, it was brought out after tranquilisation. The leopard is healthy. It would be released into jungles after 24 hours' observation.