Maharashtra villagers rescue deer from 50-foot-deep well

Vigilant residents of Ghatghar village in Maharashtra’s Junnar forest range proved to be saviours of a beautiful Sambar deer as it was found trapped inside a 50-foot-deep open well.

The villagers immediately alerted the State Forest Department who along with a team of three trained rescuers from Wildlife SOS rushed to the spot with the necessary equipment. The officials and rescuers found the Sambar sitting on a ledge on the inner side of the well.

The rescuers lowered safety nets and ropes, and carefully removed the deer from the deep well. An on-site medical check-up of the animal was done by the veterinary doctor of the NGO, following which it was safely released back into its habitat.

Sharing details about the deer, Dr. Chandan Sawane, Wildlife SOS’s Veterinary Officer said: “The Sambar was a male, estimated to be 3-4 years old. We discovered that the deer experienced minor wounds on the hind region of his body. However, he was fit for release and walked without showing any sign of discomfort, and ran into the nearby forest.”

Describing the open well as a common threat to wildlife, Ajit Shinde, Junnar’s Range Forest officer said: “Our teams are always vigilant to provide any assistance when it comes to rescuing animals in distress.”

Native to India, southern China and South-east Asia, the Sambar is a large deer and its population in the wild has been threatened due to loss of habitat and poaching. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed them as threatened species.