It’s no small task tending to an injured elephant, but when the team from the Big Life Foundation in Kenya spotted an elephant bull in need of help, they were left with no choice. The incident took place recently at a waterhole near Ol Donyo Lodge – a popular gathering spot for Africa’s biggest mammals. One of the elephants showed clear signs of an injury and was repeatedly spraying a wound on its trunk with water and dust in an effort to relieve the pain.
It takes teamwork to help an elephant this size ... and it pays to know someone with a helicopter! The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust were called to the scene to assist in the air, while a vet from the Kenya Wildlife Service was entrusted with darting the injured animal.
“Luckily, the elephant was still at the waterhole when the team arrived,” The Big Life Foundation explains on their website. “The thumping of helicopter blades caused a flurry as the bulls all moved as one, but the vet put a well-aimed dart into the injured elephant. He went down, and the ground team moved in to make sure that he was positioned safely.”
When the team reached the bull, they found a ten-inch hole on the front of the animal's trunk. It's unclear whether or not the injury was a result of human-wildlife conflict, but it was definitely infected and causing a great deal of discomfort for the unfortunate elephant. After cleaning and treating the wound, rangers are confident that the bull will make a full recovery.
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