The Sri Lanka navy responded to a bizarre situation after a patrol boat spotted drowning elephant that had become stranded in the ocean. This definitely wasn’t their typical all for help, but they responded immediately.
A strong current had ended up dragging the elephant out nearly 10 miles off the north-east coast of Sri Lanka. It was doing everything it could to stay afloat with its trunk stuck out above the water.
After a naval patrol craft arrived on the scene, the elephant was secured with ropes and pulled back to shore with the help of two other boats.
It’s believed the elephant likely got swept into the ocean while trying to cross the Kokkilai Lagoon, which acts as a divider for the jungle.
“They usually wade through shallow waters or even swim across to take a shortcut,” navy spokesman Chaminda Walakuluge told AFP.
Elephants are generally strong swimmers and have been known to swim distances of nearly 30 miles while using their trunk as a snorkel. However, in this case, the elephant appeared to be struggling to keep its trunk above water and appeared to need help.
