Forest staff and villagers in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu hoisted an elephant out of the bottom of a well in an operation that took more than 12 hours. A farmer heard the cries of the elephant and alerted local authorities who arrived at the 55ft-deep (16.7-metre) well with a team of 50.
Despite the depth of the well, the water inside was shallow and was pumped out to make it easier to access the 25-year-old male elephant. Two excavators, trucks and a crane were used in the operation, which brought the elephant out unharmed.
The elephant will be released in the nearby Hosur forest area
