The heartbreaking scene was captured by wildlife photographer Jens Cullman, 50, from Germany, who returned to the site at least twice to picture the plight of the helpless mother and baby.
The mother was forced to watch as the hyenas killed and devoured her baby at Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
She tried to save the youngster by hurling mud over her head, but was unable to scare off the predators. She is pictured here throwing the mud to scare off vultures that are picking at the baby’s rotting corpse
The mother elephant slowly starved to death as she watched hyenas eat her baby and vultures pick at its corpse
The hyenas also ripped off the baby elephant’s leg as they mauled it to death while it was stuck in the mud
The mother pictured desperately rearing her head and trunk as she remains stuck in the pool in Zimbabwe
‘For the mother to see and hear the noises at night as the hyenas kill her baby – I imagine that was actually very upsetting.’
The mother and baby pictured together a few hours after they were found on a morning game walk. Hyenas were nearby
The mother pictured with her baby (circled) shortly after getting stuck. Hyenas were seen circling the stricken pair nearby
The mother slowly starved to death as she remained stuck without food and water. She was also in the full glare of the sun
Vultures pictured perched on top of the mother and waiting around her before she died in the pool in Zimbabwe
‘I have other photos of a similar incident,’ he said, ‘where ten or 15 people are digging out two elephants… it’s a mission, it’s a big thing.’
Wildlife photographer Jens Cullman returned to the pool to take the images. The mother is shown here raising her trunk as vultures feast on her baby’s corpse
Hyenas feast on the baby elephant’s carcass as the mother raises her trunk and flaps her ears in an attempt to stop them
The mother raises her trunk in desperation as she slowly succumbs to dehydration and starvation while stuck in the pool
The mother pictured resting her head on the mud and raising her trunk. Mr Cullman said it was not possible to save them
And he admits that while he believes it’s usually better not to interfere in nature, he felt it was worth trying to get help this time because so many animals had suffered already.
The baby elephant pictured trapped in the mud. It was virtually submerged with only its trunk above the mud
The baby, pictured here almost fully submerged in the pool, was killed overnight by a pack of hyenas
The baby pictured virtually submerged in the mud with its mouth and body stuck in the pool in Zimbabwe
‘It’s important to show the full picture because we’ve lost connection. Most people on Earth live in big cities. This is just the real nature.’