A distressed elephant that had been swept some 10 miles out to sea was rescued during a 12-hour effort that was caught on video.
The Sri Lankan Navy and Department of Wildlife officers worked to rescue the elephant by tying ropes to it and then gently pulling it back to shallow water, according to the Guardian.
The incident occurred near the coast of Kokkilai in northeast Sri Lanka.
Navy personnel first spotted the Asian elephant, which they think had been caught in a current, and then solicited help from wildlife officials.
Avinash Krishnan, a research officer with the conservation group A Rocha, told the Guardian that it's not all that uncommon for the elephant to have ventured so far from shore.
Credit: LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI
Credit: LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI
"They're very good swimmers ... but they can't keep swimming for long because they burn a lot of energy," he said.
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