Thiruvananthapuram: A day after what it seemed to be a major goof-up by a team comprising forest, police and the veterinarian to rescue a bear that fell into a well in the suburban town of Vellanadu in the state capital district, which led to its death is now going to be probed for any lapses.
State Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has asked his department to give a report after a proper probe into what happened in two days.
According to sources in the know of things, the rescue act has come under attack and some wildlife activists are all set to approach the High Court also and it is amid this that the Forest Minister’s probe has been announced.
The incident occurred at the house of one Aravind at Vellanadu around Wednesday-Thursday midnight.
The bear is understood to have come searching for hens. But, what raised eyebrows was how the bear reached Vellanadu, which is located about 17 kms from the forest area. Locals say that even wild pigs are rarely spotted in the area.
The bear was spotted hanging on the ring of the well and had managed to stay afloat. But, things went awry during the rescue operation after a tranquilizer shot was fired by the local veterinarian.
Five minutes after the shot was fired, the bear sank to the bottom of the well. Soon three people went into the well, but they could not lift the animal and had to come out. The officials then used pumps to lower the water level in the well and by 10.15 a.m. the fire brigade officials went down and put the bear in a net and pulled it out.
There appeared to be lack of coordination in the rescue efforts as it was around 6.30 a.m. the local forest officials arrived at the spot.
By 8.55 a.m. the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo veterinarian was asked to give the first tranquiliser shot, but it failed, and at 9.20 a.m. the second shot was fired and in 5 minutes the bear which until then was clinging on to the ring of the well soon sunk into the well.
At 9.35 a.m., three people went down the well, but in a few minutes they came back and by 10 a.m. the water was pumped out.
At 10.15 a.m. the fire brigade officials went into the well and were able to place the bear which was unconscious into a plastic net and taken out.
Despite the best efforts, the bear had breathed its last.
With the entire rescue act being telecast live by local TV channels, eyebrows were raised on the flawed strategy adopted for the rescue as before firing the tranquiliser shots the depth of the water level in the well should have been ascertained, and pumps were put into service much later, which led to the bear getting drowned in the well.
–IANS
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