Khopoli Wildlife Rescue: Mother Wild Boar Carries Dead Piglet In Mouth After Escaping Abandoned Water Tank

A mother wild boar returned to an abandoned water storage tank near Khopoli and carried her dead piglet in her mouth after being rescued, forest personnel said. The animal and her three piglets had become trapped inside the disused structure. Rescuers demolished part of its wall to free the mother and carefully used a net to retrieve the surviving piglets.

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Khopoli Wildlife Rescue: Mother Wild Boar Carries Dead Piglet In Mouth After Escaping Abandoned Water Tank
Sameera Kapoor Munshi Updated: Tuesday, November 03, 2026, 06:44 PM IST
Khopoli Wildlife Rescue: Mother Wild Boar Carries Dead Piglet In Mouth After Escaping Abandoned Water Tank

Khopoli Wildlife Rescue: Mother Wild Boar Carries Dead Piglet In Mouth After Escaping Abandoned Water Tank |

A wild boar and her piglets were rescued from an abandoned water storage tank near Saymal, close to Khopoli, on Monday, following a coordinated operation by forest officials, animal rescue volunteers and a team from Pune.

Mother Wild Boar Returns To Carry Dead Piglet

However, what moved the forest personnel most was a poignant sight they witnessed after the rescue: the mother wild boar returning to the spot and carrying the body of her dead piglet in her mouth, apparently unwilling to leave it behind.

The incident came to light when forest department personnel Rajesh Khandekar and Vicky Ghute, while on patrol in the forest area opposite Saymal, spotted a female wild boar and her piglets trapped inside an old water storage tank. Despite repeated attempts, the animals were unable to climb out.

Help Foundation And Pune Rescue Team Called For Assistance

The forest personnel immediately sought assistance from Help Foundation. On reaching the spot, the rescue team initially considered using ropes to pull the mother out. However, given her aggressive behaviour, the possibility of sedating her was also discussed. A team from Pet Force, Pune, was subsequently called in to assist.

After assessing the situation, the rescuers decided against tranquilising the animal. Instead, they opted to break a section of the wall of the disused tank to create an exit.

Piglets Pulled Out Using Net As Mother Escapes Through Opening

The piglets were carefully pulled out using a net, while the mother managed to emerge through the opening created in the tank's wall. She then moved towards her natural habitat.

Meanwhile, the distressed cries of the trapped animals had reportedly attracted a large herd of wild boars, which was spotted moving around the rescue site, adding to the challenge for the teams.

Tragically, one of the three piglets had died while attempting to escape before the forest personnel reached the spot. The remaining animals were rescued safely.

The operation was carried out through the coordinated efforts of forest department personnel, Help Foundation and Pet Force, Pune. The Help Foundation team included Gurunath Satelkar, Amol Kadam, Amol Thakekar, Nilesh Yadav, Pankaj Bagul, Nikhil Dhole, Sunil Puri, Bhakti Satelkar, Sai Sunil Puri and Dhananjay Shinde. Members of Pet Force, Pune, also assisted in the operation.

The rescue, however, had an emotional aftermath. When forest personnel returned to the spot sometime later, they witnessed the mother wild boar carrying her dead offspring in her mouth. Despite having escaped the ordeal herself and having her surviving piglets freed, she appeared unwilling to abandon the dead one.

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Published on: Tuesday, November 03, 2026, 06:44 PM IST

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