Harshini
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)
Udupi, Aug 21: Forest officials had to struggle hard to save a three-year-old Panther which had accidentally fallen in a well at Irmadi Sorpu near Havanje here.
The inmates of a house belonging to Balakrishna Poojary near Irmadi Sorpu at Kolalageri Havanje heard a sound of something falling in their well at 11 pm on Wednesday night, August 21. They assumed it to be a branch of a tree due to night storm.
They were shocked to see a panther in the well when they came to draw water on Thursday morning. They have immediately informed the local forest department and they have informed the higher ups.
The forest officials who came at about 9 am have tried to bring the Panther up. Finally they tried to bing it up by keeping a ladder.
However, as the locals objected to it they have brought a cage from Aroor, lowered it with a rope and tried to push the panther in it. After about two hours of struggle when the Panther entered the cage, the cage was pulled up. The officials then left the Panther in Kuduremukh national park.
Heated discussion of the officials with villagers: The insistence of villagers to put the Panther in the cage before bringing it up caused heated discussion between the villagers and forest official who had come to the village. Though it caused tension, the local leaders intervened and diluted the situation.
Villagers oppose the indifference of Forest Officials: Irmadi area is covered with forest and Panthers are seen here since the last few days. Children are afraid to go to school. Though the matter is brought to the notice of forest officials it was of no avail. The menace of wild animals is increasing and by the entry of deer and wild bull the paddy cultivation is destroyed. With the menace of Panthers, cows and dogs have disappeared.
If the matter is brought to the notice of forest officials, they say that there is a scarcity of experts. Families here are afraid to move out due to the menace of wild animals, they said to the press persons.
Forest department's H D Pana, Manju Ganiga, Santhosh Jogi, Prabhat Kumar, K Harish, Jeevan Shetty, Chandrakanth and locals participated in the operation.