Agra, Apr 4 (IANS): A female golden jackal, found trapped in a 30-foot-deep open borewell in a village located in Agra's Fatehabad area, was rescued by Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit and later released back into the wild, officials said on Tuesday.

Some villagers of Paroli Sikarwar village in Fatehabad found a jackal trapped in the open borewell. Concerned for the animal's well-being, they reached out to the

Forest Department, who in turn alerted the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit.

With the necessary rescue equipment and medical aid, a team was immediately dispatched to assist the Forest Department. After an hour-long rescue operation, the jackal was safely extricated from the borewell and soon released back into its natural habitat.

Wildlife SOS co-founder and CEO Kartick Satyanarayan said: "Uncovered wells and

borewells pose a huge risk not only to wildlife but also to people's safety. It is necessary to cover these wells and borewells, especially the ones that are at the periphery of human habitation."

Director of Conservation Projects Baiju Raj M.V. said: "Despite the years of experience on our hands, our rescuers always take into consideration the possible risks and challenges while conducting such rescue operations. We are grateful to the forest officers for making this rescue a success."

Golden jackals are native to the Indian subcontinent and play a very important role in forest ecology. They are omnivorous and feed on a variety of small mammals, birds, fish, hares, and even fruit. Unfortunately, they become frequent victims of hunting, wildlife trafficking, man-animal conflict, and highway accidents, etc. Protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, they have an estimated population of 80,000 in the wild.