Heartwarming moment lost elephant calf is reunited with family

A four-month-old elephant calf became separated from her herd and wandered into a tourist camp in Northern Kenya. Staff tied the calf to a tree and contacted a local elephant research group led by Professor George Wittemyer. The team searched Samburu National Reserve and located a group they believed was her family. After providing water and a cooling mud bath, the researchers returned the calf to the herd. The calf’s aunt Adelaide approached, trumpeted, and the calf responded, triggering the herd to rush in. The elephants performed a greeting ceremony with rumbling calls and tight circling. The mother was later found dead from natural causes, but other relatives cared for the calf, including Adelaide and Markle, who nursed her.

"A four-month-old orphan was separated from her herd and wandered, by chance, into a tourist camp in Northern Kenya. Unsure what to do, staff tied the calf to a tree and called a local elephant research group, led by Professor George Wittemyer of Colorado State University. Scouring the Samburu National Reserve, Professor Wittemyer and his team finally tracked down a group of elephants they were almost certain was her family."

"After giving the exhausted calf water and a cooling mud bath, the researchers returned the missing orphan to her herd. As the calf tentatively stepped out of the trailer, the researchers watched in anticipation to see if she would be welcomed back home. Much to Professor Wittemyer's relief, the calf's aunt, known as Adelaide, noticed the baby and came to investigate."

"Adelaide trumpeted to the calf, and the calf called back, setting off a chain reaction that soon had the whole herd rushing to welcome their family member home. As the elephants began to recognise the missing calf, they began what Professor Wittemyer describes as a 'greeting ceremony'. With a chorus of rumbling calls, each elephant in the group ran over to the calf and circled tightly around her."

"Sadly, the researchers later found the body of the young elephant's mother, who had died of natural causes. However, elephants have incredibly tight social networks, and other family members stepped up to ensure their young relative survived. Researchers say the calf, which has not been given a name, is now being cared for by her aunts, Adelaide and Markle. Markle, who lost her own calf earlier in the year, even nursed the hungry calf"

Read at Mail Online