Rescuers revive unconscious elephant by jumping on chest after mother and baby become stuck in drain

ITV News' Yasmin Bodalbhai reports on the dramatic rescue of an elephant in Thailand

Rescuers in Thailand were forced to jump up and down on an elephant to revive her after she was knocked unconscious after her calf fell down a 7ft drain.

Officials from Khao Yai National Park and volunteers were forced to make the dramatic rescue after the calf fell into a manhole and became stuck during torrential rain.

Unable to free the baby without angering the mother, the team tranquilised her, but she fell headfirst into the hole, hitting her head and knocking herself unconscious.

While this did allow the hungry calf - who by this point had been trapped in the drain for several hours - to feed, the team were left faced with an even bigger problem. They now had two jumbos to rescue and there were fears the mother could suffocate.

Using a crane, the team successfully winched out the mother and then her baby.

However, once she was out of the hole the mother was still unconscious and so a member of the team jumped up and down on her chest, managing to revive her.

She quickly got up and along with her calf made her way back into the jungle to re-join their herd.

Speaking afterwards, vet Dr Chananya Kanchanasarak said that both "mother and baby are safe" and she thanked people for the "hard work of all parties involved in the rescue".

There are an estimated 4,000 elephants in Thailand. About half of these live in captivity in animal camps, zoos, and sanctuaries while the remainder are found roaming national wildlife parks.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know