He’s a real stick in the mud! Baby elephant is hauled to safety as its worried mother watches on after tourists spot just a tiny trunk waving for help at Kenyan safari park
This is the moment a baby elephant so caked in mud it was barely visible was hauled to safety and reunited with its distressed mother after tourists spotted its tiny trunk waving for help.
The male calf had wandered into a muddy hole at Tsavo East National Park in Kenya and had been trapped for hours.
But visitors on a safari in the area saw the animal’s trunk moving and alerted tour guides who organised a rescue operation.
His mother, who rescuers believe had already tried and failed to save her baby, watched on as teams from The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT), helped by anti-poaching officers, used straps to haul the youngster to safety.
Trapped: Tourists raised the alarm after seeing a baby elephant’s trunk moving around in a mud hole as they were driving through Tsavo East National Park in Kenya
Rescue: Teams of experts were called in and used straps as they tried to drag the young elephant out of the mud hole
Concealed: The calf had wandered into a muddy hole at Tsavo East National Park in Kenya and had been trapped for hours
Reunited: The group battled for 30 minutes to dislodge the young elephant before it was reunited with its mother
It took the group 30 minutes but they eventually managed to free the elephant.
Angela Sheldrick, chief executive of the DSWT, said: ‘It was evident the calf had been there for many hours.
‘Clearly the mother had churned up the mud long and hard, desperately trying to extract her calf, but had finally given up and moved away.
‘As the teams began to circle the waterhole, a single female elephant returned to the site where everyone was congregated, circling from a distance, agitated with her head held high and tail in the air, and it was immediately assumed she was the mother.
The young animal’s mother was nearby as the rescue operation took place and appeared agitated as the team approached her calf
Rescuers believe the mother had already tried and failed to save her baby, which was thought to have been trapped for hours
As the men launched their rescue bid, the calf’s mother started to ‘mock charge’ – but she later seemed to realise the team was helping
Rescuers were forced to work quickly to ease the calf to safety, moving it to the harder edges of the waterhole using straps
‘She begun to mock charge the men, concerned by what might be happening to her stricken baby. Thankfully this was more posturing than a display of full intent, and it was as if she suspected help might be at hand.’
She said the teams were forced to work quickly to ease the calf to safety, moving it to the harder edges of the waterhole using straps.
‘By this time, the mother understood that her calf was being helped, and the moment he was safely on his feet, he ran to her side.
‘It was a joyful reunion, and he immediately began to suckle as the rest of the herd returned in celebration.
Hidden: The calf was almost completely concealed by mud in a waterhole at Tsavo East National Park in Kenya
Lucky escape: Eagle-eyed tourists raised the alarm after spotting the elephant’s tiny trunk waving about in the thick mud
Rescuers said the mud had been churned up even further by the mother as she tried to free her calf
The young elephant was slowly dragged out of the thick mud until it could move its legs and push its way on to firmer ground
‘Of course, these are the best kind of stories, the ones that have such happy endings, and the DSWT teams are proud to be able to save these babies and return them to their desperate mothers.
‘Over the years we have been in a position to attend to numerous such cases, reuniting calves successfully with their mother and families.
‘It is not always the case that this is possible, but it is always cause for great joy when things work out as they should and, on this day, thankfully the mother boldly returned just when she thought all hope was lost.’
The baby elephant had wandered into a waterhole in Tsavo National Park and lacked the strength to pull its way out of thick mud
Happy ending: There was a ‘joyful reunion’ when the calf was freed and he immediately began to suckle as the rest of the herd returned in celebration
Family: The herd (pictured) welcomed the young animal back after its gruelling experience