Cute baby elephant rescued by mum after getting stuck in a ditch

This cute baby elephant was struggling to climb out of a ditch only moments after being born.

A crowd of townspeople gathered around to film the adorable baby animal trying to clamber in the dirt and to cheer her on as her mum supported her from the side.

The ten-year-old mother elephant was heavily pregnant when she arrived in the area, having reportedly come from a nearby forest in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

She gave birth to her calf in the dried out canal - but then there was trouble when her offspring got stuck.

Gently, she nudges the baby with her trunk as it clambers up the dirt walls.

A whole two hours later, with a little help from mum, the baby finally found its feet and made its way out of the ditch.

It's thought the animals then made their way back to the forest where the mother had come from initially.

In the summer we saw another adorable baby elephant getting on famously with some unexpected friends.

The baby, who lives in Kruger National Park, was seen frolicking along the road with a number of low flying swallows swooping and dipping around him.

The little calf looked like he was having a ball chasing the birds down the street before running off into the grass.