Sunday the 9th of November was an exciting day for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Voi Unit elephant Keepers. They were contacted about a young baby elephant trapped in a muddy waterhole along the Mzima Springs water pipeline in Tsavo East National Park.  Fortunately on arrival both the mother and the calf’s sister of approximately eight years old were still standing vigil over their precious baby. As the team approached, the mother became extremely aggressive and protective and immediately charged the two DSWT vehicles the moment they drew near. Her mock charges become more serious until at one point she courageously slammed into the front of both vehicles. The drivers expertly maneuvered the cars so that the front with the protective bulbar was always facing her; an adrenaline filled experience for the occupants. 

Finally both she and her older calf moved a short distance away and the Keepers wasted no time jumping into the mudhole and retrieving the baby from his trapped situation and hoisted the calf to the safety of the bank.

  At this point his mother recognized that help was at hand and graciously remained calm.

When the time was right she scooped up her confused baby and the happily reunited family headed off into the bush visibly relieved as the keepers looked on with the satisfaction of a job well done.