Rescuers in China used a digger to break down a concrete wall and free three elephants stuck in a water-filled reservoir for more than two days, state media reported this morning.

The two adult elephants and calf were discovered on Sunday in the five-metre deep reservoir in southwestern Yunnan province by forest rangers, but heavy rains filled up the pool and delayed rescue efforts at the hilltop location.

The two adult elephants helped the calf keep afloat as the water levels rose, with more than ten other elephants roaming around the tank, CCTV footage showed.

Rescuers, who brought food for the trapped animals, used a helicopter and firecrackers to scare away the nearby elephants, before bringing in a large excavator to break the wall of the reservoir on Tuesday.

Local authorities believed the calf had fallen in to the reservoir, which is used by local villagers to irrigate plants, and the two adults, a male and a female, went in to help.

Around 300 Asian elephants are thought to inhabit China with most found in Yunnan, which borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.