Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/elephant-pond-rescue/

Wildlife rescuers in China were able to save an Asian elephant with the help of a sledgehammer and some creative thinking

According to Inside Edition, a group of four elephants accidentally fell into a man-made concrete pond in China’s Yunnan Province and concerned witnesses called wildlife authorities for help.

By the time rescuers arrived, just one elephant was left in the pond but it quickly became clear that she wasn’t having any success getting herself out of the water.

The World Wildlife Fund reports that Asian elephants are endangered and their numbers are on the decline. Because of that, it’s more important than ever for communities to come together to protect them.

Rescuers knew they needed to help the elephant get out of the pond but it wouldn’t be easy, given they typically weigh around 11,000 pounds.

The elephant was struggling in an attempt to climb out of the cement pond and that’s when one rescuer had a brilliant idea. He took a sledgehammer and began knocking away at the cement wall, chipping pieces off to make it lower.

It’s not an idea many people would’ve come up with, but it worked! With part of the wall chipped away, the elephant was able to hoist herself from the pond and onto dry, solid ground.

According to Inside Edition, the elephant watched the rescuers for a few minutes before wandering away back to the wild.

Check out the rescue video below:

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog