The rare sighting of an elephant giving birth has been caught on camera in Kruger National Park on Sunday, 16 October.
The two-minute video posted by Adam Fillmore via Roar Wildlife News on Facebook shows the elephant standing and pushing the calf out with three other cows circling the newborn and mother while ‘stomping’ into the ground and making strange sounds.
This may seem strange at first, but according to Ike Phaahla, SanParks spokesperson, this behaviour is designed to ward off predators and protect the vulnerable birthing cow.
‘There is safety in numbers hence other cows surrounding the new mother. The sounds are also to frighten any predator nearby. The trumpeting and rumblings announce the arrival of a new member to the other members of the herd’ said Phaahla to Times Live.
‘Often cows will gather around the cow that is giving birth. It does excite a herd. There are benefits as when cows gather around like this it can limit predators like hyenas taking a chance trying to get to the placenta and afterbirth when they may injure a calf. Birth sightings are rare.’
Take a look.
Fillmore, who was in the right place at the right time to capture the interaction of the birth just 5km before Lower Sabie from Croc Bridge, reflected on the moment as ‘a once-in-a-lifetime sighting’.
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