Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Elephant rescue

Villagers have battled to save a baby elephant which fell down a well. The baby had slipped off soaked fields in the small Indian village of Illithodu, and fell down a 10-metre (33ft) deep well and couldn't get out.

Locals heard its mother running around at night, frantically calling for other elephants to help her. Many animals did come but they couldn't rescue it. Villagers eventually saved the little beast by digging a slope into the well and helping the baby walk out.

The rescue effort took some time though - the crowd first tried to pull the elephant out, but the well was too steep. Villagers poured buckets of water down the well to keep the wailing baby calm and not so thirsty.

The baby, which has hurt its leg, is now being cared for at an elephant orphanage as all the adult elephants left it once the crowd arrived.

Authorities are trying to find the baby's mother in the hope that they can be reunited though.

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