After becoming trapped in a puddle of mud, a mischievous baby elephant received some assistance from his big sister and her trunk. He was struggled to get up using his front legs after wallowing in the muck at a watering hole in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
He appears to be receiving help from an adult, but he tumbles into the deep puddle.
The calf sinks, flounders, and wriggles in the mud, as if seeking attention from another elephant.
His older sister, who is the oldest of five girls and three boys in the family, discovered him struggling to get up. Despite her hesitation for a moment, she slowly backs away to assist him.
The older elephant supports her brother by using her trunk to give him something solid to perch on as he exits the slippery puddle.
He manages to stand on solid ground and quickly catches up with his mother, who is several yards ahead of him in the herd.
‘We stumbled upon a herd of elephants beside a watering hole and decided to hang out with these magnificent creatures as they went about their business,’ said Edrich Schafer, who recorded the moment.
One particular baby elephant stole the show. We observed one of the male baby elephants recline in the mud, appearing to want to get up after his mud bath.
‘While feeling sorry for the little elephant, I couldn’t help but laugh at the same time.’
One of the baby elephant’s many sisters in the breeding herd began moving backwards gradually until she was in position.
‘Once the baby elephant escaped from the mudhole, he was quite stunning to observe as he ran straight back to his mother, clearly relieved,”‘ he added.
