Indian officials successfully rescued an elephant calf from drowning in a well following a tense standoff with its mother.

The incident took place on July 20 in Tulsipara TG area of West Bengal state's Alipurduar district.

Footage shows a baby elephant trapped in a well and struggling to stay afloat as its desperate mother watches in the distance.

Officials then bring in an excavator to help in the rescue. The mother in distress confronts the machine and eventually runs away.

The excavator then rushes to help the baby out of the well by demolishing a wall and paving a way for the newborn to climb out.

Later on, mother and baby were reunited in a heartwarming scene that saw locals cheering in happiness.

A video has emerged of an elephant calf being rescued after it fell inside an open agricultural well in eastern India.

The incident took place on July 20 at Tulsipara TG area of West Bengal state's Alipurduar district.

Visuals showed the calf struggling to come out of the well as the mother elephant engages in a standoff with an earthmover machine, which was rushed at the site to rescue the calf.

It is believed the sight of the machine may have triggered the mother, which led to the standoff. It also tried to push at the earthmover, however, the pachyderm soon realised that it was no match for the machine and gave up. It also triggered chaos as locals, who had gathered to watch the rescue, ran helter-skelter to save their lives after the elephant started running.

However, it soon stopped and went away.

Seeing the elephant gone, the earthmover dug out one part of the well, demolishing a wall and paved a way for the baby jumbo to climb out.

Afraid at first, the jumbo saw the opening and slowly approached it, thus getting out, much to the delight of the locals, who cheered the move.

The mother elephant too was seen watching the rescue from a distance and approached the well upon seeing its calf coming out.

A heart-melting scene ensured as the mother and the baby reunited.

It is believed the baby slipped and fell down while trying to drink water from the well.