Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 1 (IANS): A wild elephant which strayed into human settlement areas near Pooyankuutti in Ernakulam district and fell into a well, was rescued after 4 hours of operations on Wednesday.

The wild elephant according to experts is around seven years old and it was in the morning that locals found the elephant in a well.

Soon the forest officials also arrived and the local populace was up in arms and staged a protest demanding an assurance from the forest officials that they would either dig trenches or put up an electric fence in the forest areas that lie close to human settlement.

Following the protests, the forest department officials assured the locals that in a matter of six months, they would set up electric fence, which will ward off these wild animals from entering the human settlement areas.

Then a JCB machine was put into service and the side of the well was broken down which made a way for the elephant to come out of the well.

Soon the elephant walked free and went to the road where a good number of two wheelers of those who came to watch the recovery act were kept.

Expressing its ire, the elephant kicked away two wheelers and jumped the road side fence and entered the free flowing stream and swam across it and walked into the dense forest.

Last month also another wild elephant which strayed from the forest had fallen into a well and was rescued.