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Video Moment : Little Pink Foot in Peril : Tranquilized Elephant Mama in Danger of Toppling on Her Baby

The following was transcribed from the video “Tranquilized Elephant Mother risks crushing her baby / BBC Earth

See little Pink Foot the baby elephant in peril. Watch her African elephant mama, Sylvia, being helped by KWS vet as rangers desperately work to keep her at an arm’s length away from her baby.

Narrator:

“The dart falls out but it has already delivered its payload of tranquilizer. Thankfully little Pink Foot’s family is at hand but this could still go badly wrong. Sylvia or her family could charge and force the team to withdrawal. Sylvia could fall awkwardly; her huge bulk could restrict her ability to breathe. She could suffocate. Worse still she could fall on little Pink Foot and crush her.

At first things are looking good. But then Sylvia puts out a distress call. Little Pink Foot responds, she runs right back to Sylvia and stands right underneath her three ton bulk. For her being right under mum is the safest place in the world.

 

Image: CC Flickr: by happy apple : similar African baby elephant & her elephant mama

 

(elephants trumpet)

David and the team try to flush little Pink Foot out with their vehicles but she just won’t budge. Eventually David does the unthinkable. He risks his own life to save little Pink Foot’s. If Sylvia goes down now she could easily crush them both.

But even little Pink Foot weighs 100 kilos. Moving her takes force. The rest of the herd are wild with distress. They could charge at any moment. Little Pink Foot panics. (baby elephant trumpeting) The team have got to get her back to her sister’s side.

(elephants trumpeting more loudly)

Thankfully baby elephants instinctively follow large objects so David uses his vehicle to lead her towards her family. Once she is safe the team can start their work.

The abscess is huge. It is drained and cleaned thoroughly. The team work as fast as they can to reduce the stress to Sylvia and the rest of the herd. A vet from the Kenyan Wildlife Service gives her a massive dose of antibiotics.

Thousands of elephants get shot every year. Most die slowly and painfully.

Finally the vet gives Sylvia an antidote to the tranquilizer to bring Sylvia around.”

 

YouTube Video: Tranquilized Elephant Mother risks crushing her baby / BBC Earth

Images: CC Flickr: by happy apple : similar African baby elephant & her elephant mama

 

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