A wild Asian elephant accidently fell into a mud pit on March 13 while playing with other members of a herd in a forest in Mengla county, Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Border police who arrived at the scene saw the elephant struggling to get out, with another trying to pull it out using its trunk and legs.

However, as the pit was deep and the surface was slippery, the trapped elephant was stuck. Rescuers determined the best chance of freeing the animal was through the use of an excavator.

The driver of the excavator carefully operated the machine so as to not irritate the herd. After 10 minutes, an exit ramp was formed for the elephant to finally make its escape. While walking away, the animal waved its trunk toward the excavator as if to give thanks.

The 2.5-ton elephant then returned to the nature reserve with the rest of its herd.