There are two age-old lessons we would like to highlight in today's story: "Nothing compares to the love of a mother" and "It takes a village."
In early 2015, Asian elephant and her calf were taking a stroll in the Chatra district of India when the calf fell into a deep ditch. The mother tried desperately to free her baby from the thick mud for nearly 11 hours. Unfortunately her efforts worsened the situation. Her large flat feet pushed more dirt into the hole, making it difficult for her to pull out her baby.
Villagers spotted the elephant and were eager to help. According to *The Daily Mail*, Jitendra Tiwari, a local who filmed the incident, they came up with a plan to distract the elephant with a cartful of bananas. During her short break, they were able to remove some of the extra dirt that fell into the hole.
See photos and a video of the mother's rescue below.In Chatra district of India, this elephant's journey was interrupted by an unexpected event, one that caused her a great deal of stress.
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A Heart-wrenching Situation
As she was walking, her calf fell into a well. The baby elephant could not make its way out as the hole was too deep.
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The Bond Between a Mother and Her Child is Unlike Any Other
According to the Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation, the "bond between a baby elephant and its mother can be correctly described as the closest of any animal on earth."
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A Mother's Fight
The distraught elephant fought for 11 hours, working overnight to try and remove her baby from the well. She didn't give up.
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So Close and Still So Far
Look at how close the mother was from saving her baby in this photo. Unfortunately, it isn't as easy as it looks. Her large, flat feet worked against her. Her digging worked more like pushing, and she accidentally filled the hole with even more mud.
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The Villagers' Plan
Locals watched and wondered how they could possibly help. It isn't every day that you're dealt a card like this. Fortunately, they were able to come up with a brilliant plan.
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They brought a truck full of bananas to distract the mother. "The plan worked and we used the time remove the heap of sand deposited near the well that was making it difficult for her to rescue the baby," said one of the villagers. With their help, the elephant was finally able to pull her baby out with her trunk.
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A Happy Ending
The two elephants were later spotted on solid ground. They remained close. We can't imagine the sense of relief they both felt after being reunited.
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Age-old Lessons to Embrace
As we've mentioned, this story brings two important lessons to mind: ""Nothing compares to the love of a mother" and "It takes a village."
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**You can watch a video of the elephant rescuing her calf below.**
