SUSAN SINGS TO AN ELEPHANT IN A STICKY SITUATION WHILE WAITING FOR HELP TO ARRIVE.
We were in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, when our guide Joseph put the jeep into gear and drove off-road to investigate the source of a sound nearby. Twilight was fast approaching as we patrolled the swamp’s edge but we soon found the little chap – and he was in deep trouble.
His small trunk and ears were free, but his rear-end was stuck fast in dark, oozing mud. He looked exhausted and must have been struggling for hours, and his mother and the rest of the herd were nowhere in sight.
Joseph shook his head. “She must’ve been a first time mother to bring such a tiny baby here,” he said sadly.
We were discussing how we could rescue the swamp hostage when hyenas started calling from the other side of the bog. It would be too dangerous to get out so Joseph called the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. After a short conversation in Swahili, he gave us a bright smile. “They’re coming with milk, warm water and a vet with medicine.”
Their office was at least 45 minutes away, and even though we shouldn’t be ‘off-piste’, we decided to stay to keep Swampy company. With cold winds blowing off Mt Kilimanjaro, the temperature was dropping fast, and the poor baby had stopped struggling. If help didn’t come soon, we’d be guarding a corpse.
So we – well, it was my idea – decided to sing to Swampy, as our friend Carole had now dubbed him: I’d always liked I’m Happy to be Stuck with You, so that was what we went with. And as if he understood we were only trying to help, Swampy whimpered back.
Finally, a truck pulled up in a cloud of dust, and five burly men scrambled out. Two of them grabbed the calf’s ears and the rest got their arms under his flanks and heaved with all their might. Swampy gave a squeal.
A big bull elephant appeared suddenly out of the night. He halted a few metres away, shook his head, flapped his ears and raised his trunk. Joseph reacted quickly and flickered our 4x4’s lights in his direction. Eventually, the bull backed off but hung around keeping a wary eye on us.
There was another mighty heave, and the baby slipped free accompanied by a great sucking noise. The poor thing could hardly stand, and he needed his trunk, mouth and eyes unclogging with warm water. But, apart from being cold and tired he was, the vet said, unharmed. The plan was to reunite him with his mother the next morning.
The following day, Joseph’s mobile rang just as we were setting out. It was the vet. After a night at the centre they’d returned Swampy close to where we’d found him, and a young female from the only herd in the area came forward immediately. She’d sniffed his little body, perplexed by its strange smell, and then let him suckle. Swampy was home! It was the best outcome we could have hoped for.
“THAT’S A BABY ELEPHANT IN TROUBLE,” SAID JOSEPH, OUR GUIDE, AS AN AGONISED CRY CAME FROM SOMEWHERE NEARBY.
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