Tarryn recalled the special encounter for Latest Sightings.
Elephant herd approaches road
“It was on an early morning game drive 12 December,” she began. “We stopped to view a herd of elephants close to the road with a small calf.”
The elephants were making their way closer to the road. Among them was their curious calf.
“They gradually made their way closer to the road when the little calf came even closer to investigate the vehicle.”
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Elephant calf approaches vehicle
The calf walked right up to the open-back game vehicle. “Maybe this was the first time it had ever seen a vehicle,” said Tarryn.
Well, there’s a first time for everything and the calf put out its trunk to further inspect the vehicle.
Baby elephants are naturally curious and this calf was determined to find out more about this peculiar anomaly which the herd had come across.
A display of trunk mastery
However, the elephant mother wasn’t having any of it. Older and wiser than the little one, she knew coming up close to everything unusual in the bushveld wasn’t always in an animal’s best interest.
The mother came up to the little one to keep a watchful eye on it. Elephant trunks are incredible appendages… The baby used its trunk to examine the dimensions of the vehicle. The mother then used her trunk to coerce the tiny elephant away from the vehicle.
However, the thrill of an impending adventure left the baby elephant persisting in getting closer to the vehicle.
Said Tarryn: “The mother came up to check on the little one and constantly tried to pull it away from the car. However, the calf wanted to investigate more.”
Elephant calves share a special bond with their mothers and with the herd in general. This poignant moment captured the love and care which existed between the mother and her calf.
She kept her trunk around her little one, and while she allowed him to explore, she wasn’t allowing him to have free reign in the matter. She was Mom and this was a strange vehicle, after all!
A memorable encounter
The elephants were so close to the vehicle, it gave the vehicle occupants the chance to see the majestic creatures from up close; and to witness the incredible social bonds which elephants share. Perhaps the game viewers felt a little shaky as Mom inspected the vehicle and watched over her little one. However, the beauty of the moment overshadowed any fears they might have had.
Eventually, the elephant mother and her calf walked away from the vehicle. The little one’s curiosity was satisfied… for the moment… and the herd was moving on.
Recalling the moment, Tarryn said: “It was a very special sighting, I felt honoured that they were relaxed enough around us to come up to us.”
Elephant calves share one of the strongest mother-young bonds in the animal kingdom. Completely dependent at birth, they rely on their mothers for milk, protection, guidance, and comfort. Mothers nurture their calves for several years, teaching them essential survival skills while leading them safely through the herd’s close-knit family structure.
Watch poignant animal moments from your phone
We’ve set up a WhatsApp group to update you on the many poignant sightings which we receive from our viewers. Click here to join.
