This is the incredible moment a baby elephant was flown in the back of a four-seater plane to escape from poachers who slaughtered its entire family.
The young orphan, named Max, was rescued after 100 other elephants, including its relatives, were killed by poachers between Chad and Cameroon in Central Africa.
It was squeezed into the back of the small aircraft alongside Gary Roberts, an American nurse and missionary, before being flown to Mr Roberts’s house for medical treatment.
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Incredible rescue: This baby elephant was flown in the back of a four-seater plane to escape from poachers
Taking a back seat: The orphan, named Max, was rescued after 100 other elephants, including its relatives, were killed by poachers between Chad and Cameroon in Central Africa. Above, it sits in the back of the plane
Footage shows the 353lb elephant waving its trunk around as it sits in the plane, before gripping a bottle of water in its jaws.
At one point, the animal can even be seen repeatedly throwing its trunk over Mr Roberts’s shoulder as he strokes it affectionately on the head.
‘With an animal that size, you can feel its weight shifting in the aircraft,’ Mr Roberts later told BBC News.
Unfortunately, Max died just a few days after his ordeal in March 2013 as a result of his traumatic experience and the cow’s milk he was fed in a village before being rescued.
Can’t sit still: Footage shows the 353lb baby elephant waving its trunk around as it sits in the small aircraft
Weighty: ‘With an animal that size, you can feel its weight shifting in the aircraft,’ Mr Roberts told BBC News
‘Massacre’: The poachers killed 100 elephants between Chad and Cameroon (pictured) in Central Africa
Although the footage was captured at the time of the rescue last year, it has only recently surfaced online.
Social media users have deemed the video ‘heartbreaking’ with many condemning the poachers for their ‘massacre’ of the baby elephants’ family.
One wrote: ‘A sad story of genuine humans giving it all to try and save the only survivor of poachers’ massacre.’ Another added: ‘How sad that the elephant died after all that effort.’
Captured on video: Although the footage was captured in March 2013, it has only recently surfaced online
Squeezed in: Social media users have deemed the video ‘heartbreaking’ with many condemning the poachers’ ‘massacre’ of the baby elephants’ family. One wrote: ‘How sad that the elephant died after all that effort’