April 02, 2019 - 7:26 AM
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - An aging elephant at a Colorado zoo is recovering after being hoisted back to her feet with help from firefighters.
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo says a 33-year-old African elephant named Malaika (Mah-LAKE'-ah) was found lying on her side early Monday and unable to stand up, putting her in danger because of stress to her organs.
The zoo says in a statement that a team of about 20 workers and firefighters used a crane-and-hoist system to lift her up.
A rope was also tied around the elephant's leg to prevent her from falling on rescuers after she stood up.
A video posted on Facebook shows rescuers cheering and applauding as she stood up.
The zoo has other older elephants and holds drills to practice lifting up the animals.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019