Baby Elephant Swept Downstream By Raging Water, And Her Mother Immediately Jumps Into The River To Save Her

Motherhood is one of the most beautiful and powerful things in this world. The kids are happy when having their mothers accompany them to every event and stage of their lives. This is also strongly proved to be true to animals. Wild baby animals can't survive in the wild without their mother's care and protection. A motherless wild baby animal has to struggle with thirst, hunger, and danger (from nature and humans).

Image Credits: Matt Brierley Wildlife

This is what happens with an elephant named Soutine and her newborn. The 3-week-old calf could have sunk into the raging river without his mother.
Soutine and her son were crossing a river in Kenya when the worst happened. Her baby was swept downstream by raging water. The elephant mother immediately jumped into the river to save her baby. She couldn't see her son struggle for his survival right in front of her eyes. This hurt. Soutine lost her mom and she didn't want her son to suffer that pain.

Image Credits: Matt Brierley Wildlife

Soutine outstretched her trunk, trying to catch her son with it. Unluckily, it didn't work due to constant current. The calf was pulled away and seemed to have trouble keeping his trunk above the water to breathe.
The mother elephant immediately made another attempt. She pushed her baby between her legs so that he wasn't pulled away by currents. She then moved slowly towards the riverbank, carefully guiding her baby to reach it. Thankfully, the mother and the calf were safe. The calf then snuggled up to his mother and began to nurse.

Image Credits: Matt Brierley Wildlife

These dramatic and emotional moments were filmed on camera by photographer Matt Brierley who works with Save the Elephants. Soutine is such a proud mother! She is ready to risk her life to save her baby. This melts my heart.
Additionally, Soutine is worth praising as she raises her calf without her mother's help and guidance. The young elephant mother lost her mother, Chagall when she was just 10 years old. Chagall went missing outside the National Reserve in northern Kenya, which meant she was likely killed by poachers for her tusks. Soutine and her sister became tough following their mother's death. They have lived on the fringes of the herd, having to fend for themselves.

Image Credits: Matt Brierley Wildlife

“The most heartbreaking thing is watching a young mother struggle to raise her young without any help. “As an orphan, Soutine had no guidance or support from older women or her mother and had to go through this enormous learning curve alone,” David Daballen, Save the Elephant’s head of operations, said.

Image Credits: Matt Brierley Wildlife

Image Credits: Matt Brierley Wildlife

Even when Soutine becomes a mother, she isn't accepted by her herd. However, the young mother elephant still tries to rejoin her herd by crossing the river with her newborn. No one teaches Soutine how to be a protective, caring mother, but she makes an excellent job. She is a truly proud mother.

Image Credits: Matt Brierley Wildlife

Regarding the effect of the loss of elephant mothers on their children, Daballen says: “When an elephant is killed, especially an older female, it is not necessarily just one baby elephant that suffers,”. “Her death can affect an entire family – baby elephants are left as orphans, inexperienced females suffer without the knowledge and experience passed on to them, and Their calves are also affected.”
H/T: Dailybbnews