Dec. 13, 2017 - This baby elephant fell into a well in Kerala, India. It's trumpeting woke up the villagers early in the morning. The distressed mother and the rest of the herd stood nearby the well as rescue a team began to excavate around the trapped calf. Once free, the elephant ran to its mother. Before running off into the forest, the mother turned toward the people and raised its trunk. In India, some believe that this is a thankful gesture of an elephant. Elephant expert Joyce Poole says this gesture is known as "periscope sniffing," a common posture most often seen when an elephant is assessing a possible threatening situation.



This baby elephant fell into a well in Kerala, India.



It's trumpeting woke up the villagers early in the morning.



A rescue team came quickly at 7am.



The distressed mother and the rest of the herd stood nearby the well as the team began to excavate.



Here comes the mother and the rest of the herd.



It’s a reunion that made for a truly beautiful moment.



And then something surprising happened…



Before running off into the forest, the mother turned toward the people and raised her trunk.



In India, some believe that this is a thankful gesture of an elephant.