Elephant rescued from muddy well in India

An elephant has been spared an early muddy grave after becoming trapped down a well in India.

The two-year-old elephant fell into the unused water hole in Kothamangalam, in India's southwest, on Sunday.

It soon became submerged in the watery muck, despite its desperate attempts to escape.

It is unknown how long it was stuck in the well, but luckily for the pachyderm, a group of locals sprang into action.

The group enlisted the help of heavy machinery to dig an escape route for it.

With ropes deployed, the elephant was then hauled out, to cheers from the concerned crowd.