A sub-adult elephant, which fell into a domestic well near Pooyamkutty in the early hours of Wednesday, was rescued by Forest officials.
They dug a wide channel to the well using an excavator to enable the animal to walk out to freedom. The tusker might have come in search of jackfruit and accidentally fallen into the well, which is on a holding of a forest watcher, said Ravikumar Meena, Additional Deputy Conservator of Forests.
The incident took place near the Pooyamkutty forest station. The well, around 15-feet deep, is located close to the road, which made the rescue operation using an excavator easy.
The animal, which emerged from the well through the passage dug up using the earthmover, crossed the Periyar, which traverses the region, to the interior forest, said Mr. Meena.
The rescue operation lasted around 30 minutes.
