A large elephant named Shivasankaran was rescued from a muddy pit after slipping in when the soft ground collapsed beneath him.
Heartwarming footage captures the moment villagers initially attempted to pull the elephant out using ropes. Soon, excavators were called to help with the rescue.
Shivasankaran, a tusker elephant, had wandered into a muddy area near a rainwater tank in Pathanamthitta, a town in southern India, to drink water. However, his considerable weight caused him to become stuck in the unstable mud.
As the elephant struggled to escape, he repeatedly lost footing and slipped back into the pit. Throughout the ordeal, Appu, the dog accompanying Shivasankaran, barked incessantly until the mahout—who takes care of the elephant—arrived to assist.
Villagers brought in an excavator, but it too became bogged down in the mud, rendering it ineffective.
Eventually, a larger excavator was deployed and positioned on firmer ground, allowing them to rescue Shivasankaran successfully without injury.
In a coordinated effort, dozens of villagers worked together, tying ropes around the elephant to help pull him free, while hundreds gathered to witness the rescue.
Throughout the process, Appu remained by Shivasankaran’s side, leading locals to affectionately refer to the pair as “a big guy with a little friend.”
