Two baby elephants have been rescued after falling into a muddy waterhole during a severe drought in Zimbabwe.
The elephants, Tess and Mana, were discovered by wildlife photographer Jens Cullmann at Mana Pools National Park last month and she alerted the ‘Wild is life’ animal sanctuary.
Ropes and shovels were used by members of the charity, locals and a veterinarian, who took around half a day to free the two stricken animals.
The elephants were given intravenous drips for their dehydration after being hauled out of the ground and then loaded onto a plane to be flown to the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery.
Ms Cullmann, 50, said she believed the pair had become stuck after trying to get water and were too weak to escape from the mud.
Some of the rescuers pulled the elephants while others pushed. Both of them had been injured, the rescuers believed by hyenas, and had to be treated for the wounds before being flown onward.
The two babies are now recovering and are said to be enjoying life at the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery.
Ms Pullmann said: ‘It’s been a very different stay in Mana Pools this year compared to the last years – I’ve been there every year for the past nine years now and I’ve never seen a drought like this one.
‘It was quite emotional and devastating to see so many animals suffer – elephants especially since they are in a way very “human”.
This article was first published by The Daily Mail on 19 December 2019.
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