This cute pink baby elephant has the best mother in the world, as she stands by his side despite the raging river to help him cross.
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Book a Safari to MalaMala for a Chance to Spot this Pink Elephant
Victoria Craddock, a guide from MalaMala, had the best seats in the house to watch this adorable display of care from the mother elephant. She shared her story and footage with LatestSightings.com.
On this particular afternoon, Victoria headed down towards the Sand River in search of some elephants. When she reached the banks of the river, the scene was tranquil and beautiful. Grunts of hippos filled the air, and the sight of greenery just took them in. They sat scanning the banks for any movement, and not even a few seconds later, they spotted their first herd of elephants.
From a distance, the group could make out that it was a small breeding herd with a few young babies, and it looked as if they were going to cross the river. But then something caught her eye; elephants are grey, but there was something pink with them!
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She decided to investigate further and drove closer. As she approached, she realized this was also an elephant—a pink elephant! The little elephant was clinging to its mother as she approached the water. It looked so scared, but its mother just reassured it with a few nudges every now and again.
The reason for the calf’s pink skin is due to a condition called leucism. Want to know what that is? Check out our blog “Meet the Pink Elephant” to learn more about this special little elephant and his skin condition.
Pink Elephant Goes for a Swim!
As the herd made their way through the water, one could clearly see that certain areas were deeper than others. This caused some trouble for the little elephant as it would almost completely be submerged, but again, his amazing mom was right there, and she guided it back to its feet. At some points the mother elephant would even wrap her trunk under the little elephant and lift him up from the water.
One thing is for sure: This was a true mother. Her maternal instincts were incredible; she never let the calf out of sight, and even when the current picked up, she put herself between the flow of water and her calf. She showed exactly what it is to be a mother. This is not uncommon among elephants, as they live in matriarchal societies, so for the females, it is built into them to be leaders and caretakers.
Eventually, after what seemed like forever, the pink calf made it safely across the river to the other side. When the group looked at him, it was as if they could see the relief in his eyes. He then made a small victory run and ran onto dry land as soon as he could. Just the cutest thing ever!
