This is the moment rescuers use a JCB to free an endangered elephant stuck in a mud pit.
The incident took place in Lesong Forest Reserve in the district of Rompin, in Southern Malaysia’s Pahang State after the female elephant became stuck in the mud pit.
Video Credit: AsiaWire/@perhilitanofficial
In the video, the female Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) can be seen trying to its feet but then failing to take a step as its feet are entrenched in the mud.
Forest rangers can then be seen using a mechanical excavator to try and dig around the elephant to make its path to safety easier.
The elephant then manages to take a step but again falls to the ground in an exhausted heap.
The ranger operating the excavator then uses the bucket to help push the elephant up the muddy slopes of the pit to safety.
Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks wrote on social media that the elephant had been rescued and was then released back into its natural habitat.
The rescuers had received a call warning them of the trapped elephant.
The Asian elephant is listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, as the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the last three generations.
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Story By: Alex Cope; Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder; Agency: Asia Wire Report;
