When you see a group of people like this, it's not immediately clear what's going on. And to be honest, guessing won't get you very far either...
Source: @WildlifeSOS/ YouTube
In fact, Wildlife SOS turned up to rescue adrowning leopard from this 60 ft deep well in Junnar, Maharashtra, in southern India.The 3-year-old female leopard had somehow managed to fall into the well and become trapped, with no clear way out.Someone had tried tokeep the animal afloat by throwing down a bundle of branches for her to balance upon...
Source: @WildlifeSOS/ YouTube
But the leopard was well and truly stuck.That's when the rescue team from Wildlife SOS arrived to lend a hand with this formidable task.Veterinarian Ajay Deshmukh led the team in the rescue, though it wasn't clear how exactly they were going to go about this.Eventually, the best option seemed to be to lower a crate down into the well for the animal to grab onto.
Source: @WildlifeSOS/ YouTube
At first it had the opposite effect: the leopard seemed nervous and untrusting of the crate which had just appeared, swiping at it and nearly taking a deadly tumble into the water...
Source: @WildlifeSOS/ YouTube
Finallyshe seemed to register that she didn't have much other choice. Shegained a little more trust of the crate, getting closer and closer...
Source: @WildlifeSOS/ YouTube
Until at last she jumped inside, where she would be taken to safety at last.After the three hours that these compassionate volunteers dedicated to the rescue, the leopard was finally free from her trap.
Source: @WildlifeSOS/ YouTube
Wildlife SOS wrote in a comment that the leopard has now been released back into her natural habitat in the wild after receiving a medical evaluation at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre.Wildlife SOSpreviously wrote in a press release that:
A rapidly growing population, coupled with the unchecked expansion of farmlands in the region has severely compromised not just the jungle territory of the leopards of Junnar, but also their water sources, and it is not uncommon to find the big cats wandering out of the jungles and into the neighbouring villages in search of water sources.
You can watch the incredible footage in its entirety here:
It's clear that this leopard owes her life to the Wildlife SOS team. You can help support their work so that they continue to save lives by making a donation here.
H/t: @TheDodo
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