This is the moment a baby elephant tried to wake its mother while another tried to pull the injured adult to safety after the two animals fell into a 20ft ditch.
Video captured the moment a baby elephant tried to wake its mother after the two animals fell into a 20ft ditch
Helping hand: Footage shows a trained rescue elephant trying unsuccessfully to haul the giant animal from the ditch with a rope.
The mother had reportedly broken her left leg in the fall and was unconscious.
A herd of 100 elephants were passing through Tezpur in India’s Assam region when the mother and its baby plunged down the ditch this morning
Rescue bid: The mother had reportedly broken her left leg in the fall and was unconscious
Heartbreaking video shows the baby desperately trying to wake her by nuzzling up against her side
Vets and a rescue team came armed with a trained ‘Kumki elephant – but it was unable to drag the mother out of the ditch.
An earth mover was also brought in to broaden the mouth of the ditch and make a slope as part of a revised rescue plan.
The rescue operation lasted eight hours and while the calf was immediately transported to Kaziranga National Park, the mother’s condition is still serious and vets are trying to stabilise her condition.
An earth mover was also brought in to broaden the mouth of the ditch and make a slope as part of a revised rescue plan
Vets and a rescue team came armed with a trained ‘Kumki elephant – but it was unable to drag the mother out of the ditch
Diganta Barooah, Forest Officer, Sonitpur West Divisional said: ‘The mother elephant is still stuck in the pit with veterinarians attending to it. They suspect that one of the rear legs of the elephant may be fractured and her condition is being closely monitored.’