700 Kg Indian Gaur Rescued After Getting Trapped Between Pipelines In Pune

A full-grown Indian gaur (Indian bison) weighing around 700 kg was safely rescued on Tuesday after it became trapped between two large water pipelines in Pune city, officials confirmed. The incident in the Sinhagad Road area triggered a coordinated multi-agency operation involving the Forest Department, police, fire brigade, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), RESQ Charitable Trust, and veterinary experts.

The Forest Department received information at 11:51 am that the massive animal was stuck between two giant water pipelines in the Sinhagad Road area. Officials said the gaur was located near Vishranti Nagar on Canal Road off Sinhagad Road , where the confined space made movement and access extremely difficult.

According to officials, the rescue operation lasted several hours and was highly technical due to the narrow gap between the pipelines and the animal’s size and weight. The gaur, estimated at around 700 kg , was assessed as a sub-adult or young adult that likely strayed from forest patches in the Sinhagad–Velhe corridor into the urban fringe.

The animal was tranquillised under veterinary supervision after multiple attempts , before being carefully lifted using a crane along with ropes and specialised rescue equipment to ensure minimal injury and controlled extraction.

Deputy Conservator of Forests Abhijit Waykos said the operation required precise coordination due to the confined structure and the risk posed by the animal’s size. Local residents also assisted in supporting ground coordination during the rescue.

After being freed, the gaur underwent a preliminary veterinary examination and was shifted to the Forest Department’s Transit Treatment Centre in Bavdhan for treatment, observation, and rehabilitation.

Officials confirmed that the animal is currently stable but under close monitoring for stress and minor injuries. It will be released back into its natural habitat only after full recovery and veterinary clearance, in accordance with standard wildlife protocols.

The incident highlights growing instances of wildlife movement into Pune’s expanding peri-urban zones , where infrastructure and natural forest corridors increasingly intersect, requiring rapid inter-agency response systems.