Wild Elephant Rescued in India After Getting Tractor Tire Stuck Around Its Neck (2 Photos + 1 Video)

In the Indian state of Assam, locals and forest rangers had to launch an urgent rescue operation for a wild—and overly curious—elephant.





The animal had stumbled upon a massive tractor tire somewhere and accidentally managed to slip it over its head.

The tire became tightly wedged around its neck. The elephant wandered around with the bizarre "necklace" for several days, and the situation was taking a turn for the worse: the heavy rubber was digging in and clearly causing the poor creature misery.



The uniquely accessorized giant was spotted on a tea estate. To remove the heavy rubber ring, veterinarians from the Wildlife Conservation Center and forest department officials were dispatched to the scene.

Rescuers and helpful local residents carefully pulled the heavy tire back off over the elephant's head. Vets immediately examined its neck, and fortunately, there were no serious cuts or deep wounds.

The elephant caught its breath, lingered for a couple of minutes, and then ambled back into the jungle to catch up with its herd.