An elephant calf gets stuck in a waterhole. The mother struggled to get the calf out as the rest of the herd left. Watch as the herd returns and a more experienced member gives her a helping trunk.
This clumsy little elephant calf stuck in the mud can thank its lucky stars there’s a close-knit herd on standby to lend a helping trunk. The rescue, filmed in South Africa’s Kruger National Park last month, plays out after the youngster finds itself stuck in a muddy waterhole, unable to scale the slippery banks.
African elephants need a lot of water to survive, as much as 225 liters of it every day. The wet season brings plenty to drink, but when rivers and waterholes start to dry up in winter, elephants are forced to get creative, sometimes digging up dry riverbeds in search of the scarce resource.
All that time spent wallowing in sludgy pools can be perilous, especially for calves still learning how to “elephant”.
When the rest of this herd saw the mother struggling to hoist her calf to safety, they rushed over to help, according to the YouTube video description. Elephant society is highly complex and family bonds are essential to survival.
Even animals have an amazing patience to teach children until they stand for this life; some times more than humans.
That’s what loving beings do when one is in trouble. They don’t walk away or give up. They just continue to motivate and help until issue is resolved. We should all learn from “dumb” animals.
