Vutomi the elephant displays her will to survive by keeping up with her herd and living a normal life despite only being able to walk on three legs.
31-year-old Dylan Pons, a content creator for Zuka Private Game Reserve, recently shared his incredible experience with LatestSightings.com. During an afternoon drive from Satara, Dylan and his team stumbled upon a herd of elephants at Nsemani dam, where they witnessed something truly remarkable.
As Dylan and his team observed the herd, they noticed that Vutomi was present and had been in the water, finding comfort and relief. “We could see darker watermarks on her body from where she had been in the water. It was incredible to see how she adapted to her situation and continued to move with her herd.”
Vutomi is an incredible elephant with a remarkable story. She has a noticeable limp and only has three legs. This loss of limb could be due to a snare, which is a reality of life for these animals, or it could have been from a predator attack in her younger years. Whatever it may be, one thing is for sure: Vutomi is a survivor and a truly remarkable display of the resilience of these wild animals despite their harsh conditions.
Despite her injury, Vutomi was surrounded by other elephants who came to greet her, displaying a beautiful sense of community and care. “It was heartwarming to see how her herd embraced her and supported her. They truly showed an amazing sense of empathy and compassion.”
The sighting ended with Vutomi disappearing into the bushes, following her herd. Dylan expressed how rare this sighting was for him personally and how he worries that there could be more injured animals in the wild due to snares.
“If you see Vutomi or any other injured animals close to the road, I recommend giving them space to avoid adding any stress to their already difficult situation. We are in their environment after all. Respect is of utmost importance when dealing with these gentle giants.”
If you are to ever come across an injured animal that may still have a snare attached to it or that has a wound from a snare that looks fatal, remember to contact the relevant officials of the game reserve you are visiting. Also, ting the sighting with as much information as possible on the Latest Sightings app, as this may assist park officials in determining the animal’s whereabouts.