Mother Elephant Attacks Her Newborn

Zoo Visitors Witness the Horror

An elephant gave birth to its little one then proceeded to attack it with the obvious intention of killing it in front of hundreds of shocked visitors at the zoo.

Onlookers began to scream as the mother started kicking, stomping and rolling the young baby around. The calf took to the water to escape her wrath and the mother proceeded to dunk her under the water in an attempt to drown her.

Zoo staff came running when they heard the crowds screaming and they managed to pull the calf out of the water to safety.

They kept the calf locked up over night under sedation and in the morning returned the calf to the mother. The reunion went without a hitch and mom and baby seem to be getting along well now.

I am of the fanciful opinion that the mother gave birth to her calf in captivity and reasoned that this was not an ideal situation to bring her baby out into (captivity and such a small unnatural world) and she subsequently decided that the calf should die and be free rather than grow up in captivity.

This same mother killed one of her young a few years before. On both occasions the herd just looked on not daring to interfere. This is something I find quite extraordinary in light of the fact that elephants have a very strong reputation for being wonderful parents and family units.

Rolling the calf around like a beach ball

The young calf all bloody, still being brutalised by its mother

The mother starts to shove the calf in the water and eventually pushes it under, the calf used its instincts and kept its trunk above water.

Staff pull the calf out of the moat to safety

Happy pair - as it should be - things seem normal now

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