An elephant thought to have traveled at least 1,700 kilometers from India into Bangladesh after becoming separated from its herd by floods died on Tuesday despite last-ditch efforts to save him.

The distressed animal was tranquilized three times in sometimes dramatic bids to try to transport him to a safari park in Bangladesh, after he washed across the border in late June.

He was eventually given huge amounts of saline and chained in a paddyfield in a northern village to help him recover, but he was "too weak and tired" from his ordeal, officials said.