The heartwarming video shows a young elephant being reunited with its mum after it was rescued from a trench.

Footage shows the young calf running while trying to navigate its way out of the trench, where it suddenly fell and was stuck on January 22.

A forest crew member guided the young elephant to safety, as the calf came out of the forest and ran to cuddle up with its mum and rejoin the rest of the herd.

The rescue operation, which took place in the town of Dhenkanal in Odisha, India, involved the forest team creating up to three ramps at the trench to save the calf.

After successfully completing the rescue mission, Indian Forest Service (IFS) Officer Susanta Nanda said: 'Staff of Dhenkanal detected an elephant calf stuck in a trench, with mother waiting nearby.

'A ramp was made in the trench at two or three places, and the calf was able to get out of it and reunited with its mother.

'All my thanks to team Dhenkanal.'