The Moment A Mother Elephant Helps Her Calf As It Burrows Into A Puddle In Chobe National Park, Botswana

Adorable moment a baby elephant gets stuck in a pool of water and requires a helping trunk from mum… and just a little kick up the backside

This series of stunning photos shows an adorable elephant calf being given a helping hand from mum after getting stuck in a watering hole. Neal Cooper, a 50-year-old professional photographer from South Africa, snapped pictures of the incident, which happened on the Chobe River in Botswana.

The young calf appeared to be having an incredible time frolicking around in the water – but when playtime was over, he struggled to get back onto dry land.

However, the infant’s mother saved the day by encircling the child’s body with her trunk, lifting him out of the pool, and then gently kicking him in the buttocks to assist him in climbing the bank.

Neal said: ‘The elephant family had arrived by the river and the little one wanted to play and bathe in the water.

‘But the elephant calf was only a few weeks old and so the mother needed to keep an eye on him to make sure that it didn’t get into any danger.

‘The mother appeared to be teaching the calf how to get out of the mud in case it became stuck as well as how to use it to stay cool in the heat. It appeared as though she was instructing by example.

‘The river is always a great area to see and take pictures of wild elephants since you can see several family groups and their interactions with one another and with other families.’