WATCH | Baby elephant reunites with mom after villagers save it from ditch

01 December 2017 - 09:46 By TimesLIVE
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Wildlife Officials rescue baby elephant from a ditch.Video posted to YouTube by Magestic Tuskers.

A baby elephant was trapped in a ditch in Kerala, India, when a group of locals came to the rescue - using earth moving equipment to create a ramp for it to escape.

The elephant's family watched the drama from across the river, and rushed up to greet the baby when it finally escaped. 

At the end of the video you can see the elephant's mother raise her trunk - a gesture which some have said may have been in thanks. 

However according to the UK's Independent, this gesture is known as 'periscope sniffing' - and generally indicates distress.

"Though they may have understood that the people were trying to help, there was a lot of noise from the digger and people alike, that would have stressed them - in addition to their concern for a family member’s predicament," Dr Joyce Pool from the charity ElephantVoices told The Independent.

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