On a quiet usual day at Netwad village located in Maharashtra’s Pune district, the residents were going about their work, when they heard an unfamiliar sound coming from a nearby well. When they checked, they found an odd-looking animal stuck inside the 45-foot-deep well.

Seeing the plight of the animal as it went about swimming to avoid drowning, the villagers immediately contacted the Maharashtra Forest Department and alerted them about the animal’s condition.

The Forest Department officials along with a rescue team from the Wildlife SOS Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre reached the location. Inspecting the animal, they found it to be a Small Indian Civet. Meanwhile, the animal after making several failed attempts to get out of the deep well took refuge on an elevated edge to avoid drowning.

The rescue team lowered a trap cage tied to a rope down the well. Once the civet jumped into the cage after finding a dry spot, it was safely pulled out.

Talking about the animal, Dr. Chandan Sawane, Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS said: “We did a quick on-site assessment to check up on the animal’s health. After checking for injuries and lacerations, we found the civet to be healthy and released the animal back into a natural habitat.”

Thanking the villagers for their prompt action, Ajit Shinde, Range Forest Officer, Junnar said: “We are glad that the civet was unharmed and we were able to release it on the spot.”

A small mammal native to south and south-east Asia, this animal is primarily nocturnal and insectivorous in nature. Due to the adaptive nature of the species, they can be found in human-modified settlements such as agricultural fields, towns and cities.