Trapped by hunger, the elephant’s foot wedged in a tree trunk—he struggled for hours, dying slowly just inches from the fruit.

These tragic photographs show an elephant lying dead on the ground after getting its right foot stuck in a tree while reaching for a ripe jackfruit from higher branches.

The animal was unable to free itself from the tree trunks in the Sholayar forest range in India and died later.

This tragic picture shows an elephant on the ground after getting its right leg entangled in a tree trunk

This tragic picture shows an elephant on the ground after getting its right leg entangled in a tree trunk

The elephant died after getting its right leg stuck in the tree while searching for fruit in the higher branches

The elephant died after getting its right leg stuck in the tree while searching for fruit in the higher branches

Locals inspect the heartbreaking scene after the elephant got trapped in the middle of the two tree trunks 

Locals inspect the heartbreaking scene after the elephant got trapped in the middle of the two tree trunks

According to wildlife experts, the elephant must have struggled for hours to free himself from the painful position 

According to wildlife experts, the elephant must have struggled for hours to free himself from the painful position

The elephant got his right foot entangled in between two trunks of the tree while foraging for food 

The elephant got his right foot entangled in between two trunks of the tree while foraging for food