Nobody Can Figure Out How This Huge, Beautiful Animal Got Stuck In A Well

If you’ve ever watched any old “Lassie” reruns, you know Timmy got stuck in a well and Lassie was his only hope of getting out.

You always knew that somehow, even when it seemed impossible, both Lassie and Timmy would make it through their drama.

The scenes that seemed so farfetched in those old black-and-white TV shows actually do happen in real life, though.

And a leopard in India learned that all too well recently.

She had accidentally fallen down a dry well, which was located near the city of Guwahati, North-East of India.

Several hours had passed before locals picked up on her series of distressed cries.

Guwahati residents looked inside and saw the leopard at the bottom of the well, and they quickly contacted their local forestry officials for assistance.

It would take teamwork as well as the strength and ingenuity of many determined souls to save the beautiful creature.

First off, they couldn’t tell if the big cat was hurt. But they certainly knew that she was quite angry about the whole situation!

Dr. Bijoy Gogoi, one of the forestry officials and also a veterinarian, was one of the first to arrive to help. He quickly and expertly created a rope harness.

It could haul up the leopard’s body with ease, if they could just get it on her.

He proved his bravery and love of animals, by personally volunteering to go down the well and put the harness on the big cat.

He wasn’t stupid, though. Before he climbed down the ladder into the lion…er…leopard’s den, the distressed animal was tranquilized to ensure Dr. Gogoi’s safety.

Once the leopard was successfully sedated, Dr. Gogoi stepped down the ladder and into the well.

He deftly slipped the harness into place and signaled for the crew on ground level to begin the ascent.

While a bystander filmed the entire rescue, the crew began slowly pulling the spotted beauty towards safety, Dr. Gogoi keeping a hand on her to steady her.

She wasn’t completely unconscious, but she was “drunk” enough to not fight against the constraints or Dr. Gogoi’s hands.

Soon the very limp cat was handed off to workers at the edge of the well. Then Dr. Gogoi climbed the rest of the way out and began to check the cat for injuries.

The well was very deep, and it was very likely that she had been hurt by the fall. There had not been room, or enough light, for any real exam in the bottom of the well.

Thankfully, though, he found no severe damage, which is great news!

She will be re-released back into the wild once she has recuperated fully.

What a story she will have to tell her grandchildren about the day that she wandered a little too close to the edge of a well, and then had this very strange dream…

Source: We Love Animals