An elephant calf has had a leg removed after it became entangled in a rope trap in Indonesia.
The elephant – along with its mother and another calf – are believed to have been caught up in the ropes for several months when they were freed by conservationists.
The traps are believed to have been set by locals in a wildlife sanctuary in Bengkalis in Indonesia’s Riau province.
The elephants were spotted by a group of trekkers who posted pictures on social media, alerting the conservationists who were able to find the elephants and begin a week-long mission to save them.
The ropes were carefully removed while rescuers held intravenous drips attached to the elephants.
Then their wounds were treated as well as possible, despite a shortage of of equipment.
The mother lost her tail despite the efforts of the rescuers, however they were able to save the leg of the second calf.
The Indonesian Mahout (elephant keeper) Association said it was not clear whether the elephants had been the intended targets or whether the traps had been laid to catch other animals for food.
The Sumatran elephant is critically endangered, with fewer than 3,000 remaining in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
