Amidst a severe drought in Zimbabwe, two baby elephants named Tess and Mana were rescued after they had fallen into a muddy waterhole.
Wildlife photographer Jens Cullmann discovered the distressed animals at Mana Pools National Park and promptly alerted the ‘Wild is Life’ animal sanctuary. With the assistance of charity members, local individuals, and a veterinarian, ropes and shovels were employed to free the elephants, a process that spanned approximately half a day.
Following their extraction from the ground, the elephants received intravenous drips to address their dehydration before being airlifted to the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery. Ms. Cullmann speculated that the pair had become trapped while attempting to access water and were too weak to extricate themselves from the mud.
One of the baby elephants clutched a rescuer’s leg with its trunk after becoming mired in the mud at Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, at the beginning of last month. It required approximately half a day for rescuers to extract them from the mud, and they were subsequently treated and loaded onto a plane.
Members of the ‘Wild is Life’ animal sanctuary and a veterinarian collaborated to extricate the baby elephants from the mud. An adult elephant typically weighs around 20 stones, although the exact age of the pair remains unclear.
Rescuers utilized a lever constructed from a branch with a rope affixed to it to free the trapped elephant from the mud. Via Instagram, Wild is Life expressed their gratitude to all those involved in the rescue, stating, “Thanks to everyone who aided on the ground during these rescues. It is heartening to witness compassionate Zimbabweans who are striving to make a difference for the beings with whom they share this land. Thank you, one and all!”
Some individuals pulled the elephants while others pushed. Both of them had sustained injuries that the rescuers believed were inflicted by hyenas.
After being saved from the mud, one of the severely dehydrated elephants was provided with water. Jens Cullmann, a 50-year-old wildlife photographer from Germany, said, “It was quite emotional and devastating to witness so many animals suffering, especially elephants since they are, in a way, very ‘human.’”
Certain rescuers pulled the elephants while others pushed. Both of them had been injured, believed to be from hyenas, and required treatment for their wounds before being transported further.
The two babies are currently recuperating and are reportedly enjoying their lives at the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery.
Ms. Cullmann remarked, “It has been a very different experience in Mana Pools this year compared to the previous years. I have been visiting every year for the past nine years, and I have never witnessed a drought of this magnitude.”
“It was quite emotional and devastating to witness so many animals suffering, especially elephants since they are, in a way, very ‘human.’”
The baby elephants received intravenous drips to aid in rehydration before being transported to Wild is Life’s Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery. The nursery, established in 2012 by Roxy Danckwerts, comprises two projects: the Nursery in Harare and the Re-wilding facility in Victoria Falls.
Rescue workers, covered in mud, prepare an intravenous drip for one of the elephants that lies exhausted on the parched mud. The Zimbabwe Elephant…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
