By the time Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) rescuers reached the dry agricultural well in Odisha’s Similipal landscape, the sloth bear at the bottom was showing clear signs of heat stress. It was panting heavily.
The adult bear had fallen into a narrow well in Dinashahi village under the Udala Forest Range in Mayurbhanj district, near Similipal Tiger Reserve. Temperatures had stayed high all day, and the bear had likely spent hours trapped inside the steep-walled pit, with no shade and no easy way out.
Forest officials and the WTI team quickly realised the rescue would have to be handled carefully. A frightened sloth bear in a confined space can be unpredictable, especially under extreme heat and exhaustion.
The rescue team understood that forcing an exhausted animal out during daylight, amid noise and human activity, could increase stress and danger for everyone involved. Photograph: (Wildlife Trust Of India)
So instead of rushing the extraction, the team focused first on keeping the animal alive.
Water was sprayed into the well to lower the bear’s body temperature, and gradually, its frantic pacing slowed. Later, two large ice blocks were lowered to further reduce the heat. Fruits were offered, but the bear showed no interest, licking water from the damp floor instead — a small but telling sign of dehydration.
A fall after a honey hunt
Local residents said the bear had wandered near a mango tree beside a river path, likely drawn by a beehive. Sloth bears are known honey raiders, climbing trees for hives, fruits, and insects. Despite their slow, shaggy appearance, they are excellent climbers with strong, curved claws.
After feeding, the bear slipped into the nearby dug well used for farming. The smooth vertical walls offered no foothold. Villagers saw it try repeatedly to scramble out, sliding back each time. By the time rescuers arrived, the bear had nearly reached the top several times but lacked the strength to pull itself over the edge. The scorching heat made matters worse.
The rescue begins
Sloth bears are largely nocturnal animals and usually move alone. Though shy around humans, they are far from silent, communicating through snorts, grunts, and loud clucking sounds while foraging. When threatened, they can stand their ground, rise on their hind legs, and use their long claws aggressively against predators.
The rescue team understood that forcing an exhausted animal out during daylight, amid noise and human activity, could increase stress and danger for everyone involved.
So they waited.
As evening approached and the crowd thinned, rescuers lowered a net ladder into the well. Camera traps were set up, and the area was secured to give the bear space to emerge undisturbed.
Across rural India, open wells can become deadly traps for wildlife, especially in the scorching summer when animals roam farther looking for food and water. Photograph: (Wildlife Trust of India)
Then they stepped back.
Later that night, the bear climbed out on its own. Camera trap footage confirmed it used the rope-and-net ladder to escape and return safely to the forest.
Patience saves lives
Across rural India, open wells can become deadly traps for wildlife, especially in the scorching summer when animals roam farther looking for food and water.
Bears, elephants, and other creatures often wander closer to villages as streams dry up and the heat rises—just like we might search for shade or water on a hot day.
For sloth bears, the danger is even greater. Their daily hunt for honey, termites, fruits, and water often brings them near farms and homes.
But in this case, things turned out differently.
The rescuers noticed the bear was exhausted before it panicked. By keeping it calm and giving it space, they let the animal take its own time to climb out and return safely to the forest—almost like giving someone the chance to catch their breath before making a tough move.
