Elephant rescued after spending 24 hours stuck in river

This is the touching moment an elephant is rescued after spending a day trapped in a flooded river.

The ten-year-old bull was stranded in the water after heavy rain caused the river to swell in Phitsanulok province, Thailand.

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Experts said the elephant would normally sense an oncoming storm and take shelter - but this time failed.

Rescuers lowered one bank with diggers but he was stuck in the chest-high water could not overcome the strong current and exhaustion.

Park rangers tied a rope around its body and dragged it out from the river at the Thung Saleng Luang National Park.

The shattered elephant collapsed on the muddy bank from exhaustion and fright after 24 hours in the water.

Vet Dusita Chincharoendee Management and Conservation Office said: "It has been a big relief to finally rescue the elephant and get it out of the water.

"Elephants can usually smell humans and that makes them frightened and excited.

"There were a lot of humans around so that made the rescue harder.

"We had to try to tell the villagers to stay away from the water because that was making the elephant even more scared and tired.

"We tried many different ways to encourage it to leave the water but nothing worked.

"We had to pull it out manually.''

Footage shows the elephant lolling in the water as it tries to climb the steep bank.

A digger was today used to drag the elephant out and he was taken to an elephant hospital in Lampang province.