by Baby elephants are born with many ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀs from natural ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀs. So being a mother of baby elephants is not easy, they have to protect their children at all times. But the mother elephant always gets help from other elephants in the herd.
A mother elephant has saved her baby from ᴅʀᴏᴡɴɪɴɢ in a nearby river in South Africa, enlisting the help of the herd to pull the infant free. Pictures show the curious calf exploring the shallows of the river before falling in as it attempted to take a drink. The curious calf exploring the shallows of the river before falling in, while the adults in the herd stand on the riverbank. His head is barely visible above the water as his mother tries ꜰʀᴀɴᴛɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ to pull him up with her trunk. It seems that the mother elephant realizes her baby is in ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ and panics. The mum called for help and at least five other members of the herd join her, eventually succeeding in pulling the calf out of the water.
The dramatic ʀᴇsᴄᴜᴇ came after the young calf fell into a nearby river, prompting a ꜰʀᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ʀᴇsᴄᴜᴇ effort by his mother. The mum jumped up and started to panic as the little one sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇᴅ to keep his head above the water. ꜰʀᴀɴᴛɪᴄ attempts from the mum to retrieve the little one resulted in a sudden and loud trumpet and within a second. Seeing the sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇ, other elephants from the herd quickly join the mother to try and pull the baby from the river. Using their feet and trunks searching and pushing the little one up against the side of the river – he was able to step onto solid ground and the fear could be seen in his eyes. Eventually, at least five other members of the herd join the mother in her efforts and succeed in pulling the calf out of the water. Pictures show the moment the soaked elephant was freed, as the others huddled protectively around him.
Photographer Wesley Wolmarans, 33, captured the moment the soaked elephant was freed, as the others huddled protectively around him. Wesley explained: “We had found the small herd and as we watched them approach, we noticed a tiny baby making his way to the other side to take a drink. The little one was still too young to use his trunk so attempted to drink with his mouth. The next moment, the little one fell into the water and it was deep. ꜰʀᴀɴᴛɪᴄ attempts from the mum to retrieve the little one resulted in a sudden and loud trumpet and within a second, the entire herd was in the water searching for the little one. The mum kept him away from the water after that.” He added: “I had a pure feeling of helplessness seeing the little one sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟɪɴɢ to keep its head above the water. But then it was pure joy when the herd managed to get him out safely.”
Elephants are one of the most iconic and well-loved land ᴍᴀᴍᴍᴀʟs on Earth. They can eat an incredible 50 tonnes of food a year and they also need a large amount of water every day. So, it is not uncommon for small elephants to ᴅʀᴏᴡɴ ɪɴ swiftly moving or deep water. But the kind of ʀᴇsᴄᴜᴇ Wolmarans witnessed is common in the ᴡɪʟᴅ, with elder members of the herd keeping an eye on each other’s youngsters.
