ELEPHANT MUM SAVES CALF FROM BEING WASHED AWAY IN FLOODS
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This is the incredible moment an elephant mum saved her calf from being washed away in a flood.
Ian Shoebotham was leading a tour through the Greater Kruger, South Africa, on January 14 when he came across an ordinarily dry riverbed turned into a raging torrent.
Dramatic footage – viewed more than 5.9million times – captured a young elephant suddenly being washed downstream by the powerful rapids.
Fortunately the animal’s brave mother followed closely and scooped up her young with her trunk before guiding it to dry land.
“Most of the Kruger National Park has received more than its annual rainfall in just one week.“
Ian Shoebotham
Ian, from Sashwa River of Stars, said: “I was absolutely shocked. I’ve been a guide for 24 years and have never witnessed anything like this.
“I went out from the lodge to assess the conditions of the roads and to see if we would be able to get supplies from town.
“I was waiting at the river crossing talking to colleagues when further upstream a small family of elephants crossed the river.
“This is when the calf – approximately two years old – was washed downstream and the mother elephant reacted quickly and calmly.
“Most of the Kruger National Park has received more than its annual rainfall in just one week.
“I have seen flooding on numerous occasions in my life but never seen these smaller dry riverbeds flooding like this, so dramatically.
“Only a little bit of water might trickle down in normal rainfall events but this is historic.”
🐘 Learn More About: African Elephants
🔬 Scientific Name: Loxodonta africana
🐘 Type: Mammal
⏳ Lifespan: 60–70 years in the wild
⚖️ Weight: 2,700–6,000 kg (males), 2,000–3,500 kg (females)
📏 Height: 3–4 m at the shoulder (males), 2.7–3.4 m (females)
🥬 Diet: Herbivore – grasses, leaves, bark, fruit
🌍 Habitat: Savannas, forests, deserts, and marshes across sub-Saharan Africa
👩👩👧👦 Social Structure: Matriarchal herds of 8–100 individuals
🤰 Gestation: ~22 months (longest of any land animal)
👃 Trunk Uses: Breathing, smelling, touching, grabbing food, drinking, social interaction
🦷 Tusks: Modified incisors, used for digging, defense, and stripping bark
🏃♂️ Speed: Can run up to 40 km/h (25 mph)
⚠️ Conservation Status: Endangered (poaching & habitat loss)
💡 Fun Fact: Elephants can communicate using low-frequency sounds that travel several kilometers!
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