ANGEL FIRE, N.M. — A crew working to install an underground power line worked overtime Monday to save a bull elk stuck in a trench.

Crew members in Angel Fire attempted to dig the animal out by hand, and then tried to hoist him up with ropes, KRQE reported.

When that did not work, the animal appeared to be exhausted, the television station reported.

The crew called in a backhoe to dig a path for the animal, according to KRQE. According to Ben Beem, of Angel Fire, it took an hour for the elk to regain his balance. The animal then wandered off toward a watering hole, the television station reported.

Cox Media Group