Chinese rescue workers save baby elephant from ditch

KUNMING -- Rescue workers saved a baby elephant that fell into a ditch near a village in southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to a statement released by the publicity department of Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture.

Forest police and nature reserve staff in Jinghong city rushed to the site after police received a call at 10:40 am Saturday, saying an Asian elephant fell into the ditch from a 60-meter-high hill, the statement said.

The one-month-old elephant weighs around 60 kilograms and was seriously injured. A group of elephants had gathered at the scene and tried to rescue the baby animal, according to the statement.

Rescue workers pulled the baby elephant out of the ditch when the elephants momentarily left. The injured elephant was placed on a stretcher and was taken to the reserve's office for emergency treatment.

"The baby elephant has been taken to a wild Asian elephant rescue center for observation and treatment. It is frail and still in critical condition," said Chang Zongbo, a publicity official with local forest police,

Wild Asian elephants are under Class A protection in China, with a population of about 300, mainly scattered in Xishuangbanna and the cities of Pu'er and Lincang in Yunnan.