There is a universal affection for elephants, with a special soft spot reserved for the young ones. This affection is probably traced back to the beloved Disney classic, Dumbo.
The latest footage to stir this affectionate response comes from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants. This video of a baby elephant’s rescue is fast becoming a sensation online.
The heartwarming event unfolds in the arid expanses of Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. An eight-month-old elephant calf is stuck in a shallow well, with its mother, Zombe, helpless on the sidelines. Her growing distress is palpable as she can only stand and watch her trapped baby.
News of the elephant calf’s predicament reaches the Amboseli Trust in the Rift Valley Province. They dispatch two jeeps filled with rescuers without delay.
This baby elephant was found stuck in a well in the Amboseli national park in Kenya.
The rescue mission is timed meticulously to be completed early in the morning before herders arrive to water their cattle and potentially force the mother elephant away from the site.
Rescuing the baby elephant proved to be a challenge initially. The water in the well thwarts the team’s efforts to loop a rope around the calf, causing the rope to bob to the surface.
With perseverance, they eventually manage to secure the rope around the calf. A jeep serves as a makeshift crane, carefully hoisting the young elephant from the well.
The baby’s increasingly anxious mother, Zombe, looked on, powerless to help.
Helping hand: One of the rescuers tries to assist the baby elephant.
The scene that follows is a moving tableau. The calf, freed at last, barrels across the arid terrain, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
Meanwhile, Zombe’s calls echo through the air as she races towards her calf from the opposite direction. Their reunion, with trunks entwined, is a sight to behold.
The pair seem to acknowledge their rescuers with a glance towards the camera. It may be their way of showing gratitude, a thank-you from the bottom of their elephant hearts.
Luckily, the Amboseli Trust for Elephants got word of the incident in the Rift Valley Province earlier this week and sent two jeeps to assist.
At first, the team struggled to attach a rope around the calf as the low-lying water caused the cord to float to the surface.
Finally, they managed to secure it and hauled the animal to safety with the other end of the rope attached to a jeep.
After it was free, the calf thundered across the barren plain.
In the distance, the cries of Zombe could be heard as she came running in the opposite direction.
And then Zombie, her partner, and calf were reunited, embracing each other with their trunks.
Members of the Trust were all smiles after releasing the baby elephant.