An abandoned baby elephant that was found drowning in a muddy well in Kenya has been rescued.
On May 18, villagers in Raku Bula, Merti, in the Cherab Community Conservancy, came across the trapped elephant calf.
The calf was found lying in the muddy, shallow well with no family around, nonprofit organization the Northern Rangelands Trust said in a statement.
Pictures of the calf before its rescue show it lying down in the mud, appearing unable to move. It is estimated the calf was only 2 months old.
After alerting the Northern Rangelands Trust and other local authorities, villagers worked together to save the calf, heaving him out of the well. The Northern Rangelands Trust said in a statement that the elephant was in a “serious condition.”
“Typically, all cases are reported by community members, who assist in rescuing together with community conservancy rangers, and if the situation is complex, other partners chip in to help,” the spokesperson said.
It is possible that the calf became stuck after taking a mud bath, not realizing the struggle it would be to lift himself out the well.
The calf will now be looked after by the Sheldrick Trust, which according to the Northern Rangelands Trust, will provide a “comfortable home and family to make him forget the terrible ordeal he has just been through.”
In a statement, the Northern Rangelands Trust said it “couldn’t be more proud” of the community members who carried out the rescue.
The baby elephant was found stuck in thick mud before he was rescued. Somo Gollo Guyo