Excavator used to free baby elephant from swamp

March 13 (UPI) -- A dramatic rescue was caught on camera when Indian forest officials used an excavator to save a baby elephant that became stuck in a swamp.

The video, recorded Monday, shows officials using the construction vehicle to dig a path for the elephant calf to get out of the muck after villagers in Madihalli, Hassan, found it stranded the previous evening.

Indian forest officials said the elephant had become exhausted trying to free itself from the swamp.

The video shows the excavator digging a path before gently nudging the elephant to get it back to solid ground.

The calf appears to attack the vehicle, causing its occupants to flee, but after a moment the pachyderm ran over to its herd, which was waiting nearby.