This is the dramatic moment a distressed elephant tries to rouse her baby from anaesthetic after the animal was caught in a poacher’s snare.
Footage from Olare Motorogi Conservancy in south-west Kenya shows a calf being darted by a veterinary team with a tranquiliser after it was injured by a poacher’s snare on his hind leg.
The injured calf was noticed by a security patrol, who called the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, who was able to send Kenya Wildlife Service vets to the scene.
But when the SkyVets team tries to treat the two-year-old calf, the protective mother desperately tries to revive her baby from the anaesthetic
The distressed mother tries to protect her unconscious baby after the animal was caught in a poacher’s snare
Heartbreaking footage shows the mother elephant trying to revive her baby
The two-year-old calf was caught in a poacher’s snare and injured in his back leg
SkyVet team darted the calf with anaesthetic to approach it safely
As the calf loses consciousness, the mother is alarmed so that she too has to be sedated in order to ensure a safe rescue.
With the rest of the herd looking on, the vets have to act quickly.
The snare can tighten over time, cutting into the flesh and causing horrific injuries.
Thankfully, this snare was removed before any damage could be done. Soon the elephant wakes up and is able to rejoin the herd.
Rob Brandford, Executive Director of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (UK), spoke about the emotional footage, which was shot in October of last year.
He said: ‘The mother was extremely protective of her baby and without putting her under anaesthetic too, the SkyVet could not have safely intervened.
‘With their herd waiting anxiously nearby, there was a need to act as quickly as possiblle
‘The snare was quickly removed from the calf’s leg using a wire cutter. Thankfully, it had not cut through the skin and did not cause injury.’
The snare can tighten over time, cutting into the flesh and causing horrific injuries
Thankfully, this snare was removed before any damage could be done
As the baby loses consciousness, the mother is alarmed so that she too has to be sedated in order to ensure a safe rescue
SkyVet has treated several elephants suffering horrendous wounds caused by snares that have slowly tightened after time, Rob Brandford, Executive Director of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (UK) said
Rob revealed that the baby could have been severely injured if not for the quick actions of the rescue team.
He said: ‘In recent years SkyVet and our other mobile vet units have treated several elephants suffering from horrendous wounds caused by snares that have slowly tightened after time, cutting into their feet and legs.
‘Fortunately, this baby was found quickly and soon released back to the herd – fully recovered and reunited with his mother. It’s a happy ending for this family – and a story of hope for a species being hard-hit by ivory poaching’.
The Olare Motorogi Conservancy covers an area of 20,000 acres directly adjoining the Maasai Mara reserve in south-west Kenya and it is home to a large elephant population.
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The elephant mother looks distressed as her baby lies unconscious on the ground
The impatient animal has to be sedated in order to ensure everyone is safe
Snares can be deadly to elephants and cause horrific injuries as the tighten slowly over time
SkyVets veterinary team prepare to use anaesthetic on elephant calf and its mother
The elephant herd in Olaro Motorogi Conservancy in South West Kenya
Soon the elephant wakes up and is able to rejoin the herd