It took several people, including a wildlife rescue team, to pull a baby elephant from the open drain into which it had fallen Sunday in an underdeveloped Sri Lankan town.
Officials knocked out the shallow but narrow drain, which had concrete walls, to make room for the rescue.
The good Samaritans are then seen in a video of the event tying ropes around the forelegs of the frightened calf and, after a few attempts, pulling the animal out of the drain.
Shear Bad Luck: English Lamb Born Without Fleece Gets Man-Made Sweater Inky the Octopus Stages Daring Nighttime Escape From New Zealand Aquarium Canadian Police Chase Famous Knife-Stealing Crow for Tampering With Crime Scene EvidenceThe calf was reportedly whisked away for medical attention after suffering what is believed to have been a broken leg.
Elephants are apparently common on the streets of Hambantota, a southern port town, where the wild animals roam freely in competition with humans.