A mother elephant saved her baby from drowning in a nearby river, enlisting the help of a herd to pull the newborn out.
The photos show the calf curiously exploring the shallows of the river before falling as it tried to take a drink.
His head was barely visible above the water as his mother frantically tried to pull him up with her trunk.
The mom called for help, and at least five other herd members joined her, eventually successfully pulling the calf out of the water.
Photographer Wesley Wolmarans, 33, captured the dramatic rescue.
Wesley explained: “We found a small herd, and as we watched them approach, we noticed a baby making his way over to the other side to get a drink of water.
‘The child was still too young to use his trunk, so he tried to take it by mouth.
“The next moment, the baby fell into the water, and it was intense,” said the Gauteng, a South African native.
‘The mother jumped up and started panicking as the child tried to keep his head above the water.
‘The mother’s frantic attempts to retrieve the youngster resulted in a sudden and loud trumpet, and within a second, the whole herd was in the water looking for the baby.
‘Using their feet and trunks to find and push the baby up against the riverbank – he was able to step onto firm ground, and fear was evident in his eyes.
The photos show the moment the submerged elephant was freed, as others gathered around to protect him.
Wolmarans said: “Mom kept him out of the water after that.
‘I had a feeling of pure helplessness when I saw the baby struggling to keep its head above the water.
“But then there was pure joy when the herd got him out safely.”
It is not uncommon for young elephants to drown in fast-moving or deep water.
But the type of rescue the Wolmarans witnessed was common in the wild, with older members of the herd keeping an eye on each other’s calves.
