Fishing cat rescued from well in Odisha's Ganjam district

An adult fishing cat was rescued from a well in a village in Odisha's Ganjam district, forest officials said on Saturday.

The endangered animal fell into the 15-feet-deep open well at Anangpur village in Digapahandi forest range on Friday, they said.

''Locals assumed that it was a leopard cub but after verification, it was found to be a fishing cat,'' said Forest Range Officer Kanhu Charan Patnaik.

The animal was safely rescued and taken to the veterinary hospital, he said.

''It will be released after recovery,'' he added.

The nocturnal animal thrives in wetlands and feeds mostly on fish.

Shrinking wetlands has forced the fishing cats to stray into human settlements and prey on fish in ponds and livestock, said Biswajit Mohanty, a wildlife activist.