Trapped in the mud and sinking fast, this pair of elephants seemed doomed.
The mother had gone to the rescue of her baby, but had got stuck herself – leaving the rest of the herd understandably wary of trying to save them.
So, with no time to lose, a team of conservation workers sprang into action.
The family herd desperately tries to help the stricken mother and calf as they lie in the lagoon
The mud dries quickly making their mistake harder and the window of time for rescue much shorter
Workers managed to slip a rope under the baby before the hard work of pulling her free begins
The team of workers from South Luangwa Conservation Society pulls the calf first, avoiding the mother’s thrashing trunk
Thinking on their feet, they first slipped a rope under and around the calf and began to pull.
Eventually, managing to avoid the mother’s thrashing trunk, they dragged the calf to safety. But rescuing the much-heavier mother was always going to prove more difficult.
The rope had to be attached to the back of a tractor as they strained to pull her free. Finally, they succeeded in saving her from the muddy grave, and she raced off to rejoin the herd – and her baby.
The dramatic rescue took place on the flats of the Kapani Lagoon in Zambia.
The calf appears to be calling for help while her mother appears resigned to her fate before the rescue gets under way
Some would argue that rescuing the mother and baby meddles with the natural order
Although the calf appears to be almost free of the drying mud pool, she looks back to her mother
Shouting and waving frantically, the team tries to deter the youngster from returning to its mother
A final attempt is made to pull the calf further away from its mother who continues to thrash around in the mud