Out Of The Well, Rescued From The Road, Back To The Wild

Amongst the dense green forests of Maharashtra’s Junnar region, stands our Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre (MLRC) as a shining beacon of hope for lifesaving care of India’s wild denizens. Recently, this centre stood witness to two dramatic and crucial rescues — a leopard cub rescued from the depths of hell (read well) and a golden jackal that survived an almost fatal road accident. Both these stories began in crisis but had a happy ending, thanks to the timely and dedicated intervention of the Wildlife SOS and the Maharashtra Forest Department team.

The Leopard Cub’s Escape

On a calm morning in May this year, the Ghangaldare village in Maharashtra was suddenly pierced by distressed cries from a nearby open well. Inside this 30-foot-deep gaping hole was a four-month-old infant leopard perched on a narrow ledge just above the surface of the water, clinging for dear life. Her amber eyes, wide with fear, looked up to a world she could not reach. In rural Maharashtra, such uncovered wells are common. They are remnants of older irrigation systems, many left unmarked and unprotected.

As soon as the locals contacted the forest department, MLRC was alerted as well, and a three-member rescue team was dispatched. Given the cub’s young age and the extreme stress it was undergoing, using nets or traps could have worsened its trauma and the situation. Instead, the team improvised a natural solution — a staircase made of strong branches, logs and ropes was built and lowered into the well to help the cub instinctively access it. At first, the cub hesitated, but soon, she took slow steps to climb on it. When she finally reached the top, she paused only briefly before vanishing into the forest. Her rescue was more than a moment of relief, it was proof that proactive conservation measures, when coupled with rapid response, can save lives.

Healing a Jackal’s Spirit

In the Otur Range of Junnar, another wild animal’s life was hanging by a thread in the month of April. A two-year-old golden jackal lay injured by the side of a forest road after what appeared to be a vehicular collision. She had likely been scavenging when the accident occurred. This is a heartbreaking reality in areas where wildlife habitats are intersected by human development activities.

Fortunately, a patrolling team from the Junnar Forest Department found her just in time and brought her to MLRC. Here, the Wildlife SOS veterinary team sprang into action. A physical exam confirmed a complete fracture of her hindlimb. Sedation was administered, and the bone of her leg was carefully set and plastered. The road to recovery took a while, requiring weeks of round-the-clock care, a carefully managed diet, and constant monitoring. As the days passed, the jackal’s physical wounds began to heal, but it was the return of her alertness and spark that truly amazed the team. Her quiet strength, fierce eyes, and gradually building confidence became symbols of resilience. Finally, after nearly a month, she was strong and able enough to be released back into the wild. As her paws touched the forest ground once again, her limbs seemed to find a newfound strength as she scurried back into the wild.

Where Rescue Meets Recovery

Both the leopard cub and the golden jackal owe their survival to the quick response of the forest department, the skilled intervention of Wildlife SOS teams, and the life-saving facilities at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre. But these rescues also put a spotlight on something bigger — how human-wildlife conflict, if left unmanaged, leads to tragedy, and how thoughtful, sustained efforts can prevent it.

After conducting a thorough field research in areas of Maharashtra that reported frequent animal falls into wells, Wildlife SOS launched the Open Wells Conservation Project in 2022, which has proven to be impactful in saving wildlife. As many as 19 open wells that were prone to such high-risk cases have now been safely covered and surrounded by protective barriers. In Junnar’s villages like Hivare Narayangaon, Warulwadi, and Pimpari Pendhar, community participation has been key. Villagers help to monitor wells, report wildlife sightings, and take pride in protecting their shared habitat. The results of covering wells are already showing positive effects for animals, preventing them from accidents and thereby drastically reducing the number of rescues of this kind in the past year. The project to cover wells in a strategic manner is ongoing so that risks like these no longer exist. Simultaneously, Wildlife SOS conducts awareness campaigns across schools and farming communities to teach safer livestock management and night-time practices so that sudden wild encounters can be minimised before they become emergencies.

These two stories — the cub in the well, and the jackal by the roadside — began with danger. But they ended in freedom, made possible by compassion, collaboration, and care. These cases remind us that wild animals are not strangers. They are neighbours, navigating a world increasingly shaped by human hands. Instances like these also remind us that every well we cover, every animal we rescue, every village we reach — matters. If you’d like to support the work of Wildlife SOS’s rescue missions, medical care, and habitat protection, please consider contributing to our efforts. Together, we can ensure that more stories end not in tragic silence, but in survival.

Feature image: Akash Dolas / Wildlife SOS