This 4 year old male leopard was lucky, he was rescued by Wildlife SOS and the Forest Dept. after falling 60ft down an open well.
Save leopards from a cruel, slow death
Not all leopards who fall into wells are as lucky as the one above. Action to address these open wells, some still in use and others dried up, is long overdue. Sign to ask the local Pune officials to take action to identify and cover high risk wells in the area.
The open wells in Pune, Maharashtra are of particular danger to Indian leopards, a vulnerable species threatened with extinction. Maharashtra has the third largest population of leopards in India, yet one leopard dies every two days in the state. One factor, amongst many, putting the lives of these majestic felines at risk are the open wells that dot the landscape of rural India.
The Problem of Open Wells
These wells lack any sort of markings that would alert an unsuspecting animal or human, and the outcome is often fatal. Wildlife SOS has seen an alarming increase in the number of animals that have been falling into open wells, specifically in Pune District of Maharashtra. The open-pit-like wells have average diameters of 25ft, and some are as much as 80 feet deep! Once it has fallen into one of these abysmal wells, an animal can drown, starve to death, and even permanently injure themselves. India's open wells take the lives of countless animals: in the past few years, we’ve rescued leopards, bears, owls, hyenas, reptiles, and more.
The Solution
To prevent any more animals from falling victim to open wells, we're asking the District of Pune Collector to identify and cover high risk wells so that the lives of people and wild animals — like this poor leopard — are not further jeopardized. Your signature could help save them!
