Villagers Save Baby Elephant That Fell Down Muddy Well

Residents of a village in Thailand pitched in recently to help out a baby elephant that had become trapped in a muddy well.

The baby Asian elephant became stuck in the well in Kaeng Hang Maeo district of Chanthaburi Province after its herd of about 40 wandered onto a rubber plantation.

According to English language newspaper the Chiangrai Times, the elephant's mother first tried to help but was electrocuted by some nearby wires. 

Witnesses cut the power to save the mother then pitched in with a backhoe to help the 1-year-old animal out of the well.

After an effort that lasted around three hours, the baby elephant finally made its escape, to the cheers of its human rescuers.

The elephant quickly rejoined its mother, who'd recovered from the shock, and they disappeared into the forest.

The baby was part of a well-established population of wild elephants in the region that residents say often raid local farms for food, which has led some residents to put up electric fences to try to keep them out.

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