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.
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
‘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.’
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.
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