Elephants live in matriarchal societies in which the females bear the bulk of the parental duties. Devoted to their young, they use teamwork and intelligence when problems arise.
Jolandi de Klerk filmed just such an incident and sent it to Latest Sightings. The footage was recorded in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park.
Watch the video here:
All’s well at the waterhole
Jolandi’s video begins peacefully enough. A large herd of elephants gathers at a sunken waterhole. Most have already drunk their fill, so they bunch tightly together while waiting to move on.
A lone male towers over the herd, which comprises members of all ages. Somewhere in the mix, calves enjoy the protection of their extended family.
Calf emerges
Suddenly, a tiny calf emerges from the forest of legs and makes its way to the steep edge of the waterhole. It’s been watching its teenage cousin drinking and wants to give it a try.
However, its mother doesn’t want it to get too close to the water. She tries to guide it away, but like any determined toddler, the calf insists on getting its own way.
Having eluded her guidance, the calf goes down the slope. As it does, it is plain to see that the surface is slippery.
From amusement to concern
Initially, Jolandi and her companion laugh at the boisterous youngster as it struggles to keep its footing. However, the mother elephant is now more concerned than amused.
Consequently, she stretches her trunk towards it, trying to pull it away from the water. Then, when the calf tries to climb back up the slope, it slips and disappears from view.
In an instant, what started as a mother trying to rein in her disobedient child has become a crisis.
All hands on deck
News of the calf’s peril spreads quickly, and other herd members move in to assist. However, from their position on the top of the embankment, they are unable to retrieve the stricken calf.
Consequently, panic begins to grow among the elephants. Both the calf and several adults can be heard trumpeting and growling in alarm
A different tack
As the tension grows, even the big bull moves closer to see what is going on. Still, the calf remains stuck, with all efforts to pull it out from above failing.
It’s at this point that one of the cows has a brainwave. Breaking from the panicked mass, it sidesteps to the right where the slope isn’t as steep.
Then, as the others look on, she makes her way down to the water’s edge, where the calf cries for help.
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New approach adopted
Subsequently, she all but disappears from view. But her move has prompted other members of the herd to try a new tack, and they too descend the embankment.
Subsequently, we share Jolandi’s concern and wonder whether this new tactic will be successful. With the calf and its would-be rescuers hidden from view, the situation is tense.
Rescuers return
A few moments later, we see the rescuers reappear, making their way towards the gentler slope. But, where is the calf? Have they given up?
Just when we’re beginning to fear the worst, we see the thing we’ve been hoping for…
Dwarfed by the rescue team, the little calf emerges from between their legs. It’s been saved!
Covered in mud from the tip of its tail to the tip of its trunk, the calf is otherwise none the worse for wear. Then, in a particularly touching moment, one of the teenagers comes over, stroking the relieved calf with its trunk.
Let’s hope, given their mythical memories, this is a lesson the herd won’t soon forget.