An elephant fell down a hole and nearly died after falling into a pit at a nature preserve in southwest China’s Yunan Province.
The calf was immediately stuck inside the four walls of smooth, dry earth and struggled to get out.
Luckily, some local villagers found an emaciated and dehydrated animal squalling for help on Tuesday and rescued it.
Police came bearing some simple tools to help it climb up from its temporary confinement, about two meters deep.
One man uses a rake to break up the dried-out soil while another pours fresh water into the hole for the elephant.
The calf struggles to get its body up, and its feet slip and slide because the ground is hard to keep hold off.
But it gets a lot of support from the group who cheer for it as it rises to freedom.
It takes a lot for the exhausted elephant to maneuver its body and stop having a rest while hanging from the hole.
One of the rescuers says: ‘Looking at the traces at the scene, it probably fell into it yesterday [Monday].
‘Because it rained yesterday, the ground around the pit was slippery.’
After a necessary break, the elephant continues with the strenuous, life-saving exercise.
After an hour, it roams freely in the forest while onlookers wail with excitement.
