As she strides purposefully through an African forest in leopard-print Wellingtons, Essex girl Rachael Murton is pursued by six excitable elephants.
Together, the lumbering animals weigh a combined 500 stone, but Chelmsford-born Rachael retains her composure.
Dedication: Rachael Murton, who runs The Lilayi elephant nursery close to Lusaka in Zambia, with one of the young orphans she cares for
Drink up: The baby elephant guzzles down a couple of litres of milk. Their mothers usually suckle them until they are two or three
When adult females are killed for their tusks, their babies quickly become emaciated because they need maternal milk to grow until the age of two or three
Not only does she nurse the severely traumatised animals back to health, she is also on 24-hour call to mount dangerous rescue operations to bring abandoned elephants to safety.
I nose you: An affectionate ‘kiss’ for Rachael from one of the youngsters she has nursed back to health
Pinpoint accuracy: Acupuncture treatment restored feeling to Suni’s leg
It’s a family affair: The orphan elephants are gradually reintroduced into the wild when they are well enough and quickly find comfort and friendship as part of a herd again
Forlorn and confused, the orphans are shunned by their herds because their weak state means they are more likely to attract lions
Stepping out: Rachael dons her leopard-print boots to lead the parade