Two Indian gaurs which had strayed from the forest, fell into an agricultural well at Koodaramkunnu near Makkiyad in the district on Sunday night.
While the subadult gaur, aged nearly two years, was rescued, the calf aged six months, died in the well.
“The animals fell into the 10-metre-deep well on a private land on the fringes of the Makkiyad forest under the Mananthavadi forest range of the North Wayanad forest division, around 7.30 p.m. on Sunday”, Divisional Forest Officer Ramesh Bishnoi told The Hindu.
On receiving information, Forest officials visited the spot. Later, the officials along with Fire and Rescue Services personnel attempted for hours to rescue the surviving animal from the well.
Finally, it was pulled out from the well by using a net after sedating it with a tranquillizer dart, Mr. Bishnoi said. The darting operation began after the carcass of the calf was pulled out .
It took nearly 10 hours to complete the operation. As the animal was found stable after the operation, it was released into Begur forest range, he said.
K.V.Biju and V.Ratheesan, forest range officersof Mananthavadi and Begur forest ranges respectively, supervised the operation. It was suspected that those gaurs were moving in the dark in search of food or water and accidentally fell into the well, they said.
Two years ago, a gaur was rescued from the area after it was trapped in a marshy stretch of land.
