Elephants are remarkable creatures, known for their size and intelligence. As this footage shows, they’re also resilient and look out for one another.
Wildlife photographer Dylan Pons submitted this touching footage to Latest Sightings. He filmed it at Nsemani Dam on the H7 in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Water brings relief
As we join Dylan at the sighting, we see a mixed herd of elephants at the dam, which is 9.6 kilometres west of Satara Rest Camp.
While some quench their thirst, others take the opportunity to frolic in the water. Swimming brings much relief, considering the massive bulk they carry.
An elephant with a difference
Subsequently, as he watched, Dylan noticed that one of the elephants was quite different from the others. He had spotted a remarkable female elephant known as Vutomi.
At a glance, it is easy to see what makes her unique: she only has three legs. Conservationists speculate that she may have lost the leg to a snare, landmine, or predator attack as a youngster.
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Vutomi = Life
Interestingly, her Xitsonga nickname means “life” or “existence”, a testament to her remarkable survival against the odds. As a result of her injury, Vutomi has obvious mobility issues.
Accordingly, one can’t help but feel for her as we watch her hobble along awkwardly. However, it is heartening to note that she is otherwise in pretty good shape.
Presumably, her survival can, in part, be attributed to the fact that elephants are highly social creatures, known to look out for one another.
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Heavy lifting
Nevertheless, due to her disability, there are some things that Vutomi struggles to do like other elephants. For instance, while her herd mates freely submerge themselves, she can’t.
As can be seen below, she appears to only partially submerge herself, judging by the water line on her body.
We can guess that it must be a struggle to raise herself on just three legs.
Slow but sure
Additionally, because she moves slowly, she tends to lag behind the rest of the herd. Thankfully, in normal circumstances, elephants move fairly slowly due to their near-constant feeding.
As Dylan commented, the other elephants accept her without question, with some even showing a touching affection for her.
At the end of the day, despite her slight handicap, she is an elephant through and through. She loves to socialise, dust bathe, and eat like all the other elephants of Kruger.
That said, as Dylan suggests, should you come across an animal with a similar challenge, please ensure that the relevant authorities are aware.
Also, please give injured animals extra space. They already have enough stress to deal with in an environment packed with daily challenges.
