Two Indian gaurs rescued

They had fallen into a well on Sunday

SALEM15/01/2013:A female Indian gaur being lifted from a well using crane in Idayapatti village near Vazhapadi in Salem district in Tamil Nadu on Monday.PHOTO:E_LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

In a joint operation by forest officials and Fire and Rescue Service personnel, two Indian gaurs, that fell into a 70-foot-deep dry well in Idayapatti village in Attur, were rescued here on Monday night after a two-day struggle.

Forest officials said the two female gaurs, one weighing around 300 kg and the other around 200 kg, were tranquilised by Dr. Manoharan, veterinarian from Coimbatore, and were pulled out from the well with the help of a crane around 10.30 pm. They were found to be healthy and were released back into the forests in the Neiyamalai region.

Officials said the rescue operation lasted for over 30 hours.

A male gaur, weighing about 500 kg, which also fell into the same well, died of injuries on Sunday.

K. Chinnaponnan, Forest Range Officer (Valapadi) told TheHindu that “this is the biggest rescue effort of gaurs in recent times, as a team of 40 forest officials, specialists and Fire and Rescue Service personnel were involved.