Elephant Herd Trapped in Canal Rescued By Forest Officials [Watch]

A herd of wild elephants in India got trapped in a water-filled canal while trying to escape chasing locals.

The incident occurred near Mysuru, Karnataka, on Monday. The herd of five tuskers strayed into a local village and destroyed crops. Following that, the villagers chased them and the tuskers attempted to escape by getting into the Lakshmana Tirtha river canal. However, when they tried to climb out, the water and steep slippery banks made it impossible.

"Linear infrastructure in elephant corridors are testing their limits," Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda wrote on Twitter along with a video of the struggling elephants. He added that the herd was "lucky" to have been rescued by officials on time.

In the video, the elephants could be seen desperately attempting to climb out of the canal and failing repeatedly after slipping on the banks of the man-made structure. In the background, villagers could be seen standing on the opposite bank and screaming.

Forest officials were called to the scene to help rescue the animals. They were able to guide the herd toward a passage on the bank from where the tuskers could climb out. Once free, the herd made its way toward the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.

"The herd was chased by a group of villagers and finally got a space in the canal where the elephants managed to cross the canal," the officer told The Indian Express. "The elephants were not harmed in any way."

The video of the incident raised people’s concerns. Some users urged the state government to design wildlife-friendly infrastructure to minimize human-animal conflict, Firstpost reported.

One Twitter user said that the people in the background making noise to get the elephants to climb out perhaps made the tuskers more nervous. He added that people living near forests "should be educated on how to deal with wild animals through regular awareness programs."

"A wet 45° incline is easy engineering but a nightmare for any large animal," another user added.

In recent years, an increasing number of wild animals are being found in man-made infrastructures. In December, a baby elephant died after falling into an open drainage system in Karnataka.