You’re a blank canvas when you first enter the world. You’re fresh with no habits, skills, knowledge or know-how. You just kind of show up to the party and learn along the way from the people who brought you here and who love you. Just like a sponge, you have to soak up lots of information so you can hit the ground running in this thing we call life!
So, when this momma elephant just gave birth to her brand new baby calf, a group of humans awaited eagerly while the herd of elephants circled and surrounded the newest addition to their pack.
The gestation period for an African elephant is 22 months and only one calf is conceived. With this in mind, it’s kind of a big deal when one of these gentle giants becomes pregnant! Especially because there are so few elephants left, it’s truly a miracle when one is born. At the Chobi National Park in Botswana, someone caught all the action on camera. The video starts after the birth and we see the new calf lying on the ground. Everyone is beyond excited and honoured to be at the right place at the right time to see this baby elephant take her first steps.
At first, the calf is still and not moving. The grown elephants are noisy and rowdy, circling around the baby for protection. He’s breathing, but he’s dazed and confused, unsure of what just happened and where the heck he is! People are quietly commenting, in awe of the sight before them. There are camera snaps and clicks as everyone eagerly awaits.
“You never get to see this… He’s just been born… you can see the eyes blinking…” says a voice in the background. The elephants are poking and prodding with their feet and trunks trying to keep her engaged and motivated to stand up. One trunk tries to pick up the baby by her leg, while another trunk and more feet cover her in dirt. The idea behind covering newborns in the dirt is to ward off the scent of blood from attracting predators and to protect the baby from the harsh sun.
“Let’s see how much time it will take for her…” says the voice again, as the baby tries to get up and fails, tries and fails. This goes on for a little bit until near the end, she manages to find her strength, enough to stand but then falls again! She topples over, gets back up and uses her trunk to look for her mother’s milk. This is one healthy little calf off to a fantastic start with a community of elders who will continue to look after and take care of her!
Click below to watch this baby elephant take her very first steps.
