This clumsy little elephant calf stuck in the mud can thank its lucky stars there's a close-knit herd on standby to lend a helping trunk. The rescue, filmed in South Africa’s Kruger National Park last month, plays out after the youngster finds itself stuck in a muddy waterhole, unable to scale the slippery banks.

African elephants need a lot of water to survive, as much as 225 litres of it every day. The wet season brings plenty to drink, but when rivers and waterholes start to dry up in winter, elephants are forced to get creative, sometimes digging up dry riverbeds in search of the scarce resource. All that time spent wallowing in sludgy pools can be perilous, especially for calves still learning how to "elephant".

When the rest of this herd saw the mother struggling to hoist her calf to safety, they rushed over to help, according to the YouTube video description. Elephant society is highly complex and family bonds are essential to survival.

All in all, it was a pretty tough day for this youngster – just as soon as it scrambles up, it gets an unceremonious bump to the head (1:53) before face-planting the ground a few moments later (2:04). We're sure tomorrow will be a better day, baby ellie. Hang in there.

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