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.
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
Rachel McRobb, part of the rescue team from the South Luangwa Conservation Society, said: ‘Most conservationists believe that man should not meddle with the natural order and that we should allow nature to run her course however cruel or grim it seems to be.
Finally there is some joy as the ropes are removed from the calf elephant after it is pulled clear
A cousin from her herd calls to her and she makes a dash for freedom
The focus then turns to the mother elephant who is becoming tired after struggling for so long
Manpower would not be enough to pull the adult elephant from what would have been a muddy grave
After an inch by inch struggle, she eventually senses freedom and starts to scramble through the mud once more
She cries out for her baby and the herd who are waiting for her just beyond the trees
A little weak and wobbly, she makes her escape to the delight of everyone who helped
After the long struggle, the mother makes a dash towards her calf and waiting family