This is the heart-warming moment an elephant calf gets back on its feet after falling into a ditch.

The calf struggled for nearly three hours to free itself, which it ultimately did with a little help from Indian forest officials.

The incident occurred at a village in Haridwar district on July 10.

Villagers of Ganeshpur heard the cries of the female calf and informed the forest department.

Local officials rushed to rescue the animal, which had fallen into a narrow ditch and was struggling with all its four limbs in air.

The rescuers dug earth to broaden the ditch with a JCB digger to give the calf more space to manoeuvre.

Though tired after the long struggle, the calf managed to roll over, and get back on her feet.

She ran out of the ditch and was later reunited with her herd.

A forest official, Komal Singh said: “The elephant herd was returning to the forest after raiding a farm when the calf fell into a ditch and got trapped. She was lucky she was spotted on time.”

This is the heart-warming moment an elephant calf gets back on its feet after falling into a ditch.

The calf struggled for nearly three hours to free itself, which it ultimately did with a little help from Indian forest officials.

The incident occurred at a village in Haridwar district on July 10.

Villagers of Ganeshpur heard the cries of the female calf and informed the forest department.

Local officials rushed to rescue the animal, which had fallen into a narrow ditch and was struggling with all its four limbs in air.

The rescuers dug earth to broaden the ditch with a JCB digger to give the calf more space to manoeuvre.

Though tired after the long struggle, the calf managed to roll over, and get back on her feet.

She ran out of the ditch and was later reunited with her herd.

A forest official, Komal Singh said: “The elephant herd was returning to the forest after raiding a farm when the calf fell into a ditch and got trapped. She was lucky she was spotted on time.”