Overview
- Forest teams in Dakshina Kannada freed a lone tusker Monday after it fell into an abandoned 20-foot well near Peraje in the Sampaje range.
- Crews used excavators to carve a gradual earthen ramp from the well floor to ground level, allowing the elephant to climb out.
- The animal remained trapped for about 16 hours and then walked back into the forest with no reported injuries, officials said.
- The rescue involved the elephant task force, night patrol staff, and Fire and Emergency Services, with a drone used to track the animal’s condition.
- Residents report increased elephant movement in the Western Ghats foothills, and the district recorded two fatal encounters in 2025, so officials plan continued monitoring.