Elephants are smart about many things, but trains are not one of them. In India, Metro reports, they are constantly falling onto the tracks:

Accidents involving elephants in the country are not uncommon. On Monday, one was killed after it froze on tracks as a train sped towards it.

Your support powers solutions-focused climate reporting — keeping it free for everyone. All donations DOUBLED for a limited time. Give now in under 45 seconds.
Secure · Tax deductible · Takes 45 Seconds

Stories like this don’t tell themselves.

Make others like it possible. Your support powers solutions-focused climate reporting — keeping it free for everyone. Give now in under 45 seconds.
Secure · Tax deductible · Takes 45 Seconds

And seven elephants died when a train rammed them at 50mph in November — prompting calls to restrict rail speeds to protect India’s wild elephant population, estimated to be about 26,000.

But this week, one baby elephant got lucky. It crossed some train tracks and didn’t get hit by a train. It did, however, fall into a ditch. Some human train passengers spotted it, convinced the conductor to stop, and rescued Dumbo.

To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Here's How

It is unknown whether the humans performed proper elephant comforting behavior of chirping, holding the distressed elephant’s trunk, or touching its genitals. We’re guessing not, but if you ever come across a distressed baby elephant — well, you know what to do.