In a heartwarming display of maternal care, a mother elephant was captured assisting her newborn calf back on its feet after it stumbled multiple times at the water’s edge.
The photos were taken by South African wildlife photographer Charl Stols, who came across the mother and her two calves during their visit to the Chobe River in Botswana.
Stols, a 39-year-old photo host for Pangolin Photo Safaris, witnessed the adorable interaction during a boat ride.
He observed the elephant family for nearly 40 minutes, noting that the smallest calf appeared only a few hours old, recognizable by its pink hue and unsteady legs.
The mother elephant demonstrated devotion by gently lifting the struggling calf with her trunk and feet each time it fell.
In a surprising turn of events, the family crossed the river to one of the islands, with the young calf managing to swim the entire distance, only its trunk visible above water.
Stols expressed his awe at the sighting, remarking that it was the youngest elephant he had ever seen.
The emotional experience of observing the mother’s gentle guidance and the calf’s swimming abilities left a lasting impression on the photographer, who dreams of witnessing an elephant birth someday.
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