Recently, dramatic images have surfaced showcasing the heroic attempts by safari guides at Gache Gache Lodge on Lake Kariba to save a young elephant trapped in mud for an extended period.
The young bull, stuck chest-deep in mud for roughly four days, kept himself breathing with his trunk acting as a makeshift snorkel.
Rescue attempt: Len Taylor, a guide at Gache Gache Lodge, climbed into the mud with the elephant and spent six hours trying to save it.
These brave individuals battled round-the-clock, using every available resource – tractors, ropes, and raw strength – in a desperate effort to free the stuck elephant.
Sadly, despite their relentless efforts to pull him out and bring him to safety, the intense African heat and a lack of food and water over those four long days had weakened him beyond recovery. The decision was made to euthanize him humanely.
Stuck: The helpless young bull had spent up to four agonizing days trapped in the mud and had been using its trunk as a snorkel.
Several guides from Gache Gache Lodge, located merely a few minutes from the elephant’s muddy prison, risked personal safety to step into the muddy terrain alongside the distressed animal.
They aimed to fasten a rope around his body, enduring the occasional swing of his distressed trunk. Lodge guests also participated in shifts, joining the race against time to save this elephant’s life.
Len Taylor, a guide from the lodge, shared his six-hour struggle to free the elephant with MailOnline, describing the palpable fear and distress the creature exhibited.
Hero: Guide Len Taylor, who spent six hours trying to rescue the young elephant, climbed onto its back to take a rest from the mud.
Caked: The poor young elephant was covered in mud in Zimbabwe from top to bottom after being stuck for up to four days in the hot sun.
Despite being young, the elephant was still a formidable force. His fear and distress translated into unpredictable and dangerous movements that posed a significant risk to the rescuers.
Taylor explained navigating through the dense mud to secure a rope around the elephant without causing additional distress or harm. Despite the difficulties, he devised a strategy to pull the elephant out safely.
After the successful extraction, the team focused on positioning the elephant onto his belly, improving his chances of standing up to drink and eat.
Found: This was the scene when tourists and guides found the young elephant stuck in the mud. The tractor in the background was later used to try and pull it out.
Trapped: It’s thought the elephant had been stuck in the thick mud for up to four days in the African sun, causing it to become dehydrated.
However, they found the elephant even weaker the next day, unable to rise, visibly suffering. Faced with the grim reality of the situation, the team decided to euthanize him, alleviating his distress.
Ray Townsend, another lodge worker, echoed the sentiment of this bitter rescue, highlighting the elephant’s inability to stand and the devastating impact of the prolonged time in the mud.
Despite their best efforts, euthanizing the young bull was the kindest course of action, sparing him further suffering.
A guest at the lodge, Melissa Mackenzie, documented the tragic yet heartening attempt to save the elephant, sharing a series of pictures on Facebook.
Creative: Len tried to get the rope under the elephant’s belly using long sticks while the terrified animal tried to hit the man with its trunk.
Race against time: Melissa Mackenzie, who was a guest at the lodge, posted pictures of the desperate battle to save the stricken bull. Alongside this picture, she wrote: ‘Gets dark so fast here, had to act quickly.’
She commended the efforts of those who came together to give this animal a chance, emphasizing the noble, albeit unsuccessful, struggle to save a life in desperate need.
Stumbling blocks: The biggest problem was trying to get a rope around the stricken elephant’s belly because the mud was so thick.
Progress: Once the rope was tied around the elephant’s neck without strangling him, the men tried to pull the young bull out of the mud.
Fears: Len said: ‘Once it looked like we could get him out, my biggest fear was that he would try and kill us once he was free.’
Worry: ‘Elephants are extremely aggressive when they are distressed, and he, of course, had no idea we were trying to save him,’ Len said.
Struggle: The elephant had spent up to four days with without water in the hot sun and slowly exhausted itself trying to get out.
Unhappy ending: The decision to put the animal down came after it became clear it wouldn’t be able to stand up or survive the ordeal.