Officials make daring rescue as tiger's hunt goes terribly wrong: 'One of the most challenging rescue operations ever conducted'

After a frantic effort, workers in India successfully rescued two animals trapped in a well, according to People.

The unfortunate pair were found in Pipariya, a town in central India. They reportedly fell in together as the tiger was chasing the boar. The Pench Tiger Reserve rescue team was called in to execute what it later called "one of the most challenging rescue operations ever conducted."

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This involved lowering a bed into the well to keep the animals afloat, then lowering a trap for the tiger, capturing it, and raising it. The process was repeated to trap the boar. The boar was released into the nearby wild, while the tiger was transported and released into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.

"Such missions highlight the incredible efforts of our forest department and wildlife experts, who work tirelessly to protect and conserve India's rich biodiversity," the reserve wrote on Instagram. "Every life matters, and this successful rescue is a testament to our commitment to wildlife conservation!"

Pench National Park has been providing a safe haven for wildlife since 1965 and a registered tiger sanctuary since 1992. It's also the setting for beloved children's story "The Jungle Book" and one of the most popular nature reserves in India.

Tiger populations in India are under constant threat as human settlement encroaches further and further onto their natural habitat. Incidents like this highlight the need for protected wilderness where vital and iconic species can thrive. Luckily, concerted efforts have helped double Indian tiger populations in the last decade.

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We've seen rescue operations in North America care for orphaned bear cubs, three-legged foxes, and coyotes trapped in trash, but rarely anything as dramatic as this simultaneous boar and tiger rescue. The online community was glad to see a happy ending to this crisis.

"Love this! Faith in humanity restored," said one Instagram commenter.

"Hats off to the forest department. Amazing work," said another.

Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species?

Definitely 👍