Indian Forest officials used an excavator to rescue a baby elephant that had been stranded in a swamp.

The animal had spent the night in the swap and collapsed in exhaustion after struggling to free itself in vain.

Villagers of Madihalli in Hassan, South India, noticed the baby elephant’s plight on the night of March 11.

The baby elephant had fallen into the swamp that had been clogged with silt and was struggling to get out. Its herd moved away on seeing the people and stood patiently at a nearby patch of forest.

The forest officials, who were alerted, waited till the daylight to start the rescue operations.

The brought in an excavator, which tried to make a path for the elephant to emerge out on its own.

As the animal was too exhausted, the excavator driver then gently nudged it from behind with the vehicle’s bucket.

The baby elephant mustered the strength to get out of the swamp but turned its ire on the excavator.

It approached the cabin and threatened to pull out the driver and his two assistants with its trunk, prompting them to jump out and flee.

As the crowd of onlookers started shouting, the elephant changed its mind and ran towards the forest to rejoin its waiting herd.