This is the moment a five-ton bull elephant fell to the ground as veterinarians sedated it after it was hit by a poisoned arrow.
The footage, shot from helicopters and on the ground, reveals 14 steps veterinarians will take to save in.ju.red animals in the wild.
It’s not clear where this particular footage was taken, but the charity that shot it, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, based in Kenya, and vets from the country’s wildlife service showed up in the video.
At the beginning of the clip, a helicopter is seen circling a herd of elephants in a pool before landing near a Kenya Wildlife Service vets team.
The i.nj.ured male elephant, who had two infected w.o.unds from a poisoned arrow, is seen prowling the ground as vets approached.
Shooting darts from a helicopter to inject the anesthetic, paramedics watched as the giant stood still, lost strength in its hind legs, and then flipped over.
Working quickly, vets prepared the animal for treatment by moving to keep its airways open and cleaning up arrow w.ou.nds.
Doctors were then seen injecting the elephant with antibiotics, working from a four-wheeled ‘mobile veterinary unit.’
They then use a reversal drug to enhance the effect of the anesthetic.
From the safety of their helicopter, rescuers watched the elephant get up.
The charity said it had attended up to 2,411 elephants over the past 15 years.
It said on Facebook: ‘Veterinary units know firsthand that a concerted effort is required to treat any inj.u.red wild animal…even more so when your patient, weighs up to 5 tons, is in pain and might not feel so friendly towards humans.’
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