This is the adorable moment a baby elephant clung to his sedated mother after being rescued from a pit in Zambia
Vets had been forced to knock the mother out as they rescued her calf from a man-made pit in South Luangwa National Park because she was so agitated.
Once the calf had been lifted to safety he ran over to his mother and clung on to her ear with her trunk until she could be revived.
This is the heartwarming moment a baby elephant laid a tender trunk on its mother’s ear after being rescued from a man-made pit in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia
Vets were called to a village in the national park after locals heard the mother’s cries and noticed that her calf had fallen into the pit and was unable to get back out
When medical teams arrived both the mother and baby had been up all night struggling, and they decided the safest way to rescue the baby was by sedating the mother first
Villagers were alerted to the baby’s plight after hearing the mother’s cries, and called rescue workers to the scene.
Vets arrived the following day to find both animals very distressed, having been struggling at the pit all night.
They were forced to immobilize the anxious mum in order to safely help the baby.
Rachel McRobb, CEO and co founder of CSL said: ‘Once the mum was down, the baby was small enough we could just lift her out of the pit and carry her about 30 metres back to mum.’
Rescue workers attempt to remove the baby elephant from the pit, having sedated its mother several metres away
The baby was terrified, exhausted, and desperately hungry having been trapped in the pit all night before the team arrived
Once the mother had been sedated rescuers were able to lift her calf out of the pit and carry her to safety
The calf was brought to be by the sleeping mother’s side while doctors administered the drugs needed to wake her up
At first the baby was reluctant to let doctors near her mother, but soon realised they were helping, and so stood by their side until the mother was back on her feet
As vets were administering drugs to bring the mother around, the calf walked up alongside them and place a tender trunk on her mother’s ear.
Rachel added: ‘She got a bit defensive for a minute when we put her down and then decided our vet was helping and wouldn’t leave him alone.
‘The baby did not mind Dr Sichande administering the antidote in his presence and ended up getting in the way trying to help.
‘We reversed the mum with the antidote and as soon as she started to get up the baby suckled immediately.
‘She must have been really hungry from all night in the pit. Everyone then happily wondered off.’
Workers from the Teams from Conservation South Luangwa, the organization that helped rescue the baby elephant
Dr Sichande prepares the drugs that will wake the mother elephant up after her calf had been rescued