When rescuers from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust got a call that a baby elephant had fallen into a waterhole and couldn’t get out, they knew they were in a race against time.
They rushed to the scene in the Tsavo Conservation Area in Kenya, where they met park rangers and members of the public, who also wanted to help the calf.
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
But the group faced multiple challenges: Could they physically haul a 200-pound elephant out of the water trough and pull off the rescue while the distraught mother stood guard nearby?
The mama elephant wasn’t happy about all the vehicles and people pulling up to the water’s edge, and in an effort to protect her vulnerable calf, she charged at the rescuers and their SUV.
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
“We honked and revved the engine to buy us some time to approach the trough,” Roan Carr-Hartley, a pilot for the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, who was part of the rescue efforts, told The Dodo. “In those moments, you become narrowly focused on the task at hand: the little elephant in front of you, but with one ear tuned to hear if the mother was coming back.”
The mother elephant moved about 100 feet from the waterhole and continued to stand watch. The rescuers had to strike a delicate balance; they didn’t want to scare her off for good.
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
“When you know a mother and calf are in such a stressful situation, the anticipation builds with every passing minute — I was eager, anxious, desperate to help them,” Carr-Hartley said. “Desperate because we know time isn’t on our side; eventually, an elephant mother will be forced to move on from her young calf, especially if she gets spooked by people around her, unintentionally frightening her away.”
With the clock ticking, the rescuers jumped into the water and, running on adrenaline, lifted then pushed the calf out of the trough.
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
They gently guided the baby elephant back toward his mother, who looked so relieved to see her calf out of danger and ran to him.
Meanwhile, the rescuers ducked out of the way so the pair could be together again.
“There’s nothing better than seeing a mother and calf reunited, especially when the odds are against them,” Carr-Hartley said. “That’s what we strive for. It’s the most incredible feeling: a huge mix of relief, happiness, a flood of emotions washing over you.”
The rescuers risked their lives to pull off this incredible save, reuniting mother and calf, which the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust calls one of the organization’s top success stories in the last year.
“That’s our primary mission: to keep wild families together,” Carr-Hartley said. “To see this realized, despite all the challenges, was deeply rewarding.”
To help the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust save other elephants and wildlife, you can donate to the organization.
Woman Runs To Help ‘Shivering Angels’ Cuddled Together In SnowbankThey would never have made it on their own.