Wildlife rangers used a digger to rescue a stranded elephant in India.

Video footage shows the specialists and Indian Forest Department officials rescuing the jumbo trapped in the Nilachal Hills of Kamakhya, Guwahati.

An official told the local media: 'The operation took place early in the morning on August 5, began around 7:00 am and concluded with the safe release of the elephant back into the wild.'

Residents first spotted the distressed elephant and promptly alerted the authorities. The Forest Department swiftly assembled a team of experts experienced in handling such situations.

They said the rescue mission was challenging due to the dense terrain of Nilachal Hills.

However, after hours of planning and execution, the team successfully guided the elephant along a safe path and released it into a nearby forested area.

The sub-continent has at least 30,000 wild elephants - more than any other country and approximately 60 per cent of the world's entire Asian elephant population.