Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/elephant-mom-carries-dead-calf/

Elephants are intelligent and sentient animals who forms close bonds with each other and their offspring. That is why when a calf dies the entire herd mourns, especially the mother.

While it is impossible to know exactly what elephants are thinking or feeling, actions speak louder than words.

Heartbreaking photos taken at Namibia’s Twyfelfontein Country Lodge by tour guide Philip Shilongo show an elephant mom carrying the body of her dead calf.

William Stegmann, a spokesman for the lodge, told Newsweek, “The baby elephant was born on 27 October, 2022, to the group of elephants in the Huab River, known to us as Rosy’s Group, because we call the matriarch Rosy.”

The baby appeared weak and struggled to keep up with the herd as they walked long distances to find water. Everyone hoped the calf would gain strength and survive.

Sadly, the calf passed away just a day later.

“On the 28th, the guides still saw the baby, but we speculate that she must have passed away during the evening. The heart-wrenching photo was taken on the morning of the 29th,” stated Stegmann.

Mama carried her deceased calf around for two days and only put it down to eat. After two days of mourning, the matriarch named Rosy chased the herd away from the dead calf, including the mother.

The lodge posted the heart-wrenching photos on Facebook and wrote, “Our guides came across this sad and unique Sunday-story. This elephant calf was born 2 days ago, but was too weak to survive in the harsh environment. The mother is not yet ready to come to terms with it so she carried the little one along.”

The herd moved on, but their grief was felt across the world.

“This just is so heart breaking. Emotional pain is very hard to deal with. They feel what we feel. Imagine losing your child at birth and then carry him or her around for days in an emotional storm of sadness and confusion,” wrote a Cape Town resident.

Another person wrote, “That poor mom! A picture can be worth a thousand words.”

Many said it was one of the saddest things they have ever seen, and their hearts go out to the devastated mama elephant.

Learn more about how elephants grieve in the video below.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog