Fortunately for an elephant which had been caught in a tide off the Kokkilai coast, Sri Lanka, the country’s Navy was nearby to rescue it. Reportedly, the pachyderm was 16 kilometers from Sri Lanka and was fighting for its life when it was spotted by a patrol boat.
Officials from Sir Lanka’s Department of Wildlife and a navy vessel were quick to dispatch to the area. Using ropes, the mammal was pulled toward the coast at the Yan Oya area of Pulmodai, south of Kokkilai, reports The Guardian. Then, the elephant was handed over to wildlife officials.
According to Avinash Krishnan, a research officer with the conservation group A Rocha, elephants are ordinarily very good swimmers, so the event was a curious development. “Swimming about 15 kilometres from the shore is not unusual for an elephant,” said Krishnan.
However, he added that elephants can’t swim for long periods of time, so it is fortunate it was spotted in the ocean. Krishnan also said that the salt water is “not good” for elephants’ skins, so human intervention was required.
Watch the rescue below:
https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/885484149905260547
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