In July 2017, the Sri Lankan Navy dispatched warships to retrieve an elephant from the sea, which took 12 hours. The elephant was swept away by rapids to a deep sea 8 kilometers off the coast and nearly died.
Elephants are known to be good swimmers, but this poor guy became exhausted after being trapped there treading water for a long time.
After the Navy spotted the elephant frantically trying to keep his nose on the water, they didn't hesitate to help him, and they knew they had to act quickly if they wanted to save him.
The Navy diver and wildlife officer approached the beleaguered elephant and tied a rope around him. Then together they worked to drag him gently back to shore. After checking his physical condition, they eventually released him back into the wild.
The Navy believes the elephant may have been swept into the sea while crossing Lake Kokkilai, a long stretch of water between two jungle areas the elephant swam through, as a shortcut.
Thankfully, the Navy found the poor elephant there, otherwise he might have ended up drowning. Rescue is not easy. Kudos to the Sri Lanka Navy!
