To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Elephant Pulled From Deep Well In 16 Hour Rescue Mission

Elephant Pulled From Deep Well In 16 Hour Rescue Mission

The poor elephant was chased by a group of dogs before falling into a 50ft well.

Lucy Devine

Lucy Devine

A young elephant has been rescued after it was chased by a group of dogs and fell into a 50ft well.

The elephant, who toppled into the well in southern India's Tamil Nadu, was hauled to safety by a team of rescuers who used a crane and a winch to pull the elephant out.

You can watch a video clip of the rescue below:

The mission took 16 hours and was led by wildlife veterinarian Dr Prakash.

The team of experts were first lowered into the well in order to administer tranquilliser darts. The elephant was then tied to a heavy duty crane, using rope-like belts, before being lifted to the surface of the well.

District Forest Officers, S Prabhu from Krishnagiri and Rajkumar from Dharmapuri, also oversaw the rescue operation with over 50 other experts from the Forest Department, Fire Department and local police lending a hand, too.

In the video above, hundreds of people can be seen watching the mission, and as the elephant was finally lifted onto land, the huge crowds could be heard cheering at the successful rescue.

The mission took 16 hours and was led by wildlife veterinarian Dr Prakash (
SWNS)

The huge rescue took two excavators, trucks and cranes to haul the elephant back to safety from inside the well.

And with the mission taking so many hours, the poor elephant was given coconut leaves dropped down into the well as a source of food throughout.

The animal had been roaming around the region with two other elephants when it was reportedly chased by a group of dogs in the village of Panchapali, before falling into the drop.

Now it is safely back on dry land, it will be released back into the Hosur forest area (
SWNS)

Now it is safely back on dry land, it will be released back into the Hosur forest area.

What a traumatic experience for this poor elephant - we're so glad it's home safe and sound, thanks to the incredible rescue team!

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: Life News, Animals