An elephant calf has been rescued after it fell into an open drain thanks to the joint efforts of workers at a town in Sri Lanka.

The young mammal had become separated from its sick mother and was discovered crying for its parent by port workers in the coastal village of Hambantota.

It had become trapped in a concrete storm drain and reportedly broken one leg, leaving it unable to move.

A video of the incident shows various port workers trying to widen the drain with a hammer and blow torch in an attempt to get the elephant out.

Using rope tied around its front legs, people managed to pull the calf to safety.

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It was driven away in a truck by wildlife rescue workers and treated for its injured limb.

Hambantota, in a southern province of Sri Lanka, is known for its wild elephants roaming around freely in the jungle area surrounding the port town.

In previous years there have been incidents involving elephants running over roads and stampeding in areas where people are working.