Elephants, like many other animals, are famous for their protective behavior towards their newborns. A mother always takes care of a calf when it starts to walk.
In this touching series of photographs, a fauna photographer captured a charming scene where an elephant takes care of its newborn cub in the South African fauna.
Charl Stols rode the river in Botswana when he spotted an elephant mother and her cubs approaching the river to drink water. He decided to photograph them and happened to witness the most gracious gesture a mother could make to her child.
Because of the rugged terrain, the elephant fell several times. Fortunately, its mother was always there to help it climb up with its trunk. Mothers are called to help their babies and protect them – that’s exactly what they do!
“The smallest elephant was only a couple hours old, still with a pink-colored skin,” the Stols said. “At the river’s edge, the baby plunged some times and the mother gently helped him lift using her trunk.”
This warm scene touched even the photographer who used to capture elephant families.
“It was a very unique second,” Stols told. “There are many elephants in Chobe but that one must have been the tiniest elephant I’d ever seen. Unexpectedly, they even crossed the river to an island and the little one even managed to swim all the way.”
