A smelly wild boar with bristly hair and an unpleasant grunt seldom qualifies for a pet. When this animal strayed into a property and accidentally fell into an abandoned well, Bindu Ambili, a homemaker from Kalanjoor, Konni in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta, not just formed an unlikely bond with the boar but also turned out to be its saviour. She steadfastly held her ground that the animal could not be shot. Bindu would then feed the boar with rice and jackfruit, bathe the animal regularly and then watch the boar playfully roll over the muck. She did that for over a month till the boar was netted and carefully taken out of the well by the forest officials on Friday.

The well, at least 20 feet deep and filled with debris, belonged to a neighbour who had long left the property. Bindu made it her mission to ensure that the animal survived till it was rescued and let go. It all began when the boar accidentally fell into the well while roaming around the area in December, 2024.

At the time, Bindu was attending a school function when she received a call about the incident. Rushing to the scene, she found the frightened creature struggling at the bottom of the well. She immediately informed the local panchayat and even contacted the district collector, urging them to rescue the animal. However, authorities suggested a grim solution—to shoot and kill the boar. Bindu vehemently opposed it.

“I told them I will feed him as long as he’s inside, but I won’t allow him to be killed,” she recalled. It helped that the panchayat couldn’t arrange for a shooter, giving her the opportunity to care for the animal herself.

Determined to keep him alive, Bindu fed the boar daily. Over time, a bond formed between them. She affectionately called him ‘Mone’ (my son), and he began responding to her voice, coming to the centre of the well whenever she called. Not only did she feed him, but she also bathed him by pouring water into the well. “Of course, being a boar, he would roll around in the dirt right after,” she laughed.

Looking after the boar became part of her daily routine. Before leaving for errands, hospital visits, or her children’s school, she ensured he was fed first. Though the forest was close by, and wildlife sightings were common, this boar had become different—he was family.

Despite her attachment, Bindu hesitated to seek outside help for fear that authorities would insist on putting him down. “I even told the collector, ‘No one needs to come here to kill him,’” she said.

Ultimately, after media reports brought attention to the story, forest officials arrived on Friday and carefully lifted the boar out using a net. As he was set free, he paused at the edge of the forest, turned back, and looked at Bindu before disappearing into the wild. “I am happy he is rescued, but it feels like I lost a child,” she admitted. “People say he might return now that he’s used to our food. I hope so. He became a part of our family.”

Bindu lives with her husband, Ambili Mon, and their three children—Ananthu, Anamika, and Anagha. Though the well is now empty, her heart remains full of memories of the boar she once called her own.