Amazing Elephant Rescue

Saved from a muddy grave: Baby elephant and its mother pulled from lagoon where they got stuck because they wouldn’t be separated
By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON
Last updated at 12:05 PM on 11th November 2011

Trapped in the mud and sinking fast, this pair of elephants seemed doomed.

The mother had gone to the rescue of her baby, but had got stuck herself – leaving the rest of the herd understandably wary of trying to save them.
So, with no time to lose, a team of conservation workers sprang into action.

article 0 0EBBF04700000578 751 634x427 Amazing Elephant Rescue
The family herd desperately tries to help the stricken mother and calf as they lie in the lagoon

article 0 0EBBF0AA00000578 677 634x427 Amazing Elephant Rescue
The mud dries quickly making their mistake harder and the window of time for rescue much shorter

article 0 0EBBEF9C00000578 734 634x449 Amazing Elephant Rescue
Workers managed to slip a rope under the baby before the hard work of pulling her free begins

article 0 0EBBF14200000578 513 634x319 Amazing Elephant Rescue
The team of workers from South Luangwa Conservation Society pulls the calf first, avoiding the mother’s thrashing trunk

Thinking on their feet, they first slipped a rope under and around the calf and began to pull.

A couple of attempts were made to release the youngster, but it wanted to stay with its mother and resisted.

Eventually, managing to avoid the mother’s thrashing trunk, they dragged the calf to safety. But rescuing the much-heavier mother was always going to prove more difficult.

The rope had to be attached to the back of a tractor as they strained to pull her free. Finally, they succeeded in saving her from the muddy grave, and she raced off to rejoin the herd – and her baby.

The dramatic rescue took place on the flats of the Kapani Lagoon in Zambia.

article 0 0EBBF64A00000578 994 634x411 Amazing Elephant Rescue
The calf appears to be calling for help while her mother appears resigned to her fate before the rescue gets under way

article 0 0EBBF20F00000578 6 634x352 Amazing Elephant Rescue
Although the calf appears to be almost free of the drying mud pool, she looks back to her mother

article 0 0EBBF28700000578 763 634x337 Amazing Elephant Rescue
Shouting and waving frantically, the team tries to deter the youngster from returning to its mother

article 0 0EBBF2C600000578 412 634x412 Amazing Elephant Rescue
A final attempt is made to pull the calf further away from its mother who continues to thrash around in the mud

Rachel McRobb, part of the rescue team from the South Luangwa Conservation Society, said: ‘Most conservationists believe that man should not meddle with the natural order and that we should allow nature to run her course however cruel or grim it seems to be.

‘We agree on the whole, unless a wildlife problem has been created by man (for instance in the case of snaring or being trapped in a fence, in which case it’s justifiable to intervene) then nature should be left to her own devices. She has a plan.

‘However – every rule has an exception and the dreadful plight of a baby elephant trapped in the mud of the Kapani Lagoon and her mother, who had also got stuck trying to save her yesterday had us all in a frenzy of activity. 

‘We simply could not stand by and watch them struggle and slowly die.’

Before the rescue by workers from conservation society, Kapani Lodge and Norman Carr Safaris the mother and calf’s herd tries to rescue the pair.

When they are unable to do anything, the team – along with members of the Zambian Wildlife Authority – moves in while the herd waits on the other side of some trees.

At one point, the calf appears to be calling for help while his mother appears resigned to her fate before the rescue gets under way.

article 0 0EBBF2EE00000578 297 634x383 Amazing Elephant Rescue
Finally there is some joy as the ropes are removed from the calf elephant after it is pulled clear

article 0 0EBBF35F00000578 834 634x428 Amazing Elephant Rescue
A cousin from her herd calls to her and she makes a dash for freedom

article 0 0EBBF31700000578 823 634x396 Amazing Elephant Rescue
The focus then turns to the mother elephant who is becoming tired after struggling for so long

article 0 0EBBF46D00000578 772 634x484 Amazing Elephant Rescue
After an inch by inch struggle, she eventually senses freedom and starts to scramble through the mud once more

article 0 0EBBF4A000000578 634 634x463 Amazing Elephant Rescue
A little weak and wobbly, she makes her escape to the delight of everyone who helped

article 0 0EBBF50200000578 815 634x565 Amazing Elephant Rescue
After the long struggle, the mother makes a dash towards her calf and waiting family


www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2059502/Baby-elephant-mother-pulled-muddy-grave-conservation-workers-Zambia.html

Amazing Elephant Rescue

Posts

Show posts by:

About Jerry Frey

Born 1953. Vietnam Veteran. Graduated Ohio State 1980. Have 5 published books. In the Woods Before Dawn; Grandpa's Gone; Longstreet's Assault; Pioneer of Salvation; Three Quarter Cadillac
This entry was posted in See the Evidence and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*


− 4 = two

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>