Two elephants, a calf and its mother that fell into an abandoned elephant trap at Vallakadavu in Kuttampuzha Forest range were rescued on Thursday.
The animals fell into a 15ft deep well, which was covered with bamboo leaves, in the early hours of the day.
It was at Vallakadavu near Vadattupara in Kuttampuzha, an inaccessible spot in the forest area, that the animals were trapped.
By evening, the animals were rescued after a pathway was created from the trap by levelling its banks. The mother and the calf later walked into the forest area.
As the area was inaccessible the rescue team had to face difficulties. The area could be reached only by crossing the river in bamboo rafts.
This prevented the possibility of using mechanical devices or trained elephants for the rescue operation. Forest officials led by Divisional Forest Officer P. Nagaraj led the rescue operations.
V. K. Venkitachalam, secretary of the Heritage Animal Task Force, an NGO specialising in the protection of elephants, demanded that abandoned traps should be levelled as it posed serious threat to wildlife.
Protective structures should also be constructed for wells in forest settlements. He also demanded action against those who failed to cover open traps in the Kothamangalam forest area.
Keywords: elephant, elephant trap, Vallakadavu, animal traps, animal rescue, Kothamangalam
It appears that the culprits laid trap after seeing the rescue team
doing the work, they (culprits) must have disappeared or joined the
crowd as if nothing is known to them and showing lip sympathy. Forest
dept. should survey such traps and rescue the animals.
Hope both Elephants are well....It would have been better to add the
health condition report of the elephants.
Thank God some human act behind saving mother and calf elephants.
The UN and the whole world needs to make a concerted effort to increase tropical rainforest cover of the earth as well as population control. Otherwise humanity is doomed.
On what basis this pit is being referred as "abondoned trap". It looks pretty freshly dug & if it abandoned why would the leaves be still there on top of it. I do not think it is an abandoned one. It looks like a fresh one
awful to know that even now people think its ok to make traps for these sentient beings. worse part is that it was in a forest area where these animals are supposed to be protected. atleast they were rescued thanks to the forest officials. what is our government doing?/
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