Lion falls into 100-ft well in Gujarat, rescued

The lion after it was rescued from the well in Amreli—Photo: Rajan Joshi

VADODARA, May 16, 2016

A four-year-old Asiatic lion, which had fallen into a 100-foot-deep dry well in Amreli district’s Jadakla village in Amreli district, was rescued and later released into the Gir forest, officials said on Sunday.

“Last morning, several women from the village saw the lion chasing buffaloes on the farm of one Mayabai Ahir,” Ram Kumar More, Range Forest officer (RFO) at Savarkundla, said.

“When the women screamed, the lion changed its track and accidentally fell into the well. When the villagers alerted them, forest officials rushed to the spot and rescued it using a thick rope after nearly four hours,” he said.

More said a veterinary team entered the well first to ascertain if the lion had sustained injuries. When it was clear that the big cat was unharmed by its fall, he was pulled out. According to More, forest officials did not tranquilise the lion before rescuing him from the well. "The temperature was over 43 degrees Celsius and hence it was not advisable to tranquilise him. After being rescued, the lion was kept under observation for eight hours and then released into Gir forest on Saturday night,” he added. —PTI

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