Villagers and wildllife officers in southeast Sri Lanka worked together to rescue an elephant that had become trapped in a canal for more than 10 hours.

The elephant was rescued from Maduru Oya's Z.D main canal near Medagama on April 13, after wandering out from the nearby Aluthwewa forest reserve.

The elephant, fell into the main canal from the Verarana area in Aralaganwila, but was washed around 10km downstream before being rescued.

The wildlife officials of Veheragala followed the elephant for a while and rescued the elephant through the iron sluice gate at the Medagama power generation unit.

The rescued elephant was then pushed into the nearby forest by the wildlife officials. The wild elephant was around 9-foot-tall and estimated to be around 40 years old.

Weheragala wildlife officials chased an elephant that fell at Maduru Oya's Z.D main canal in Medagama in Srilanka on the 13th morning from the Aluthwewa forest reserve after a ten-hour rescue operation.

The elephant, fell into the main canal from the Verarana area in Aralaganwila, got washed away for about 10 kilometers in the water stream. The wildlife officials of Veheragala followed the elephant for a while and rescued the elephant through the iron sluice gate at the Medagama power generation unit.

The rescued elephant was pushed into the nearby forest by the wildlife officials. The wild elephant was around 9-foot-tall and aged around 40 years.It took 10 hours for the officials to rescue the elephant from the canal.