This is the heartwarming moment good Samaritans used a JCB to rescue an elephant from a swamp after the calf collapsed from exhaustion while struggling to free itself.

The animal had fallen into a pit clogged with silt near a forest area in Alur, southern India, on Monday night.

It struggled all night trying to make a way out for itself as its family patiently waited at a nearby patch of forest. 

But the help only came next morning when villagers heard its loud cries and informed forest officials for help.

A team came with an excavator and tried to make a path for the calf to emerge on its own. However, the animal had exhausted itself with its previous attempts.

District forest officers intervened after it became obvious the calf would not climb up the slope they had crafted. 

The JCB driver can be seen scooping up the calf, before pushing it out of the pit with gentle nudges.

The excavator nudges the animal from behind, pushing it out of the water and then nudges it to encourage the animal to stand up. 

The baby elephant musters courage and wishes itself out but hilariously turns against the excavator, forcing the men inside to run away.

A loud cheer is then heard from the background as people celebrate while the calf runs into the wild.

District forest officer Sivarambabu said his team started off by trying to form a slope for the animal using the digger, before deciding on a more direct approach.

'We cut the mouth of the pond and drained the water first,' he said. 'The elephant was then able to walk towards the slope by himself. 

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