Forest department officials in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary near here rescued a wild elephant from a pit after a four-hour 'operation' yesterday. They are now investigating the circumstances that landed the eight-year-old pachyderm in a near-death situation. The Wildlife Warden of the Nilgiris, Ashok Upreti, said the staff found the female elephant trapped inside the pit in a forest area about 100 metres off the Masinagudy-Moyar Road yesterday afternoon. It had slipped through a narrow opening of the pit, which was 12-15 feet deep and 10-15 feet wide. It might have fallen into the pit while a herd was passing through.