During a drought in Zimbabwe, two juvenile elephants were rescued after stumbling into a muddy waterhole.
The elephants, Tess and Mana, were spotted last month at Mana Pools National Park by wildlife photographer Jens Cullmann, who cautioned about the ‘Wild is Life’ animal sanctuary.

It takes roughly a half-day for members of the organization and locals to release the two trapped animals.After being retrieved from the ground and carried into a plane to the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery, the elephants were given IV fluids to treat dehydration.

Ms. Cullmann, 50, believes the duo were stuck in the mud after fetching water and were too weak to get out.

One of the newborn elephants holds a rescuer’s leg with its trunk after being caught in the mud at Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe earlier this month. It took about a half-day for rescuers to pull them out of the muck, and they were treated before being placed into a plane.

The baby elephants were rescued from the muck by members of the ‘Wild is Life’ wildlife sanctuary and a veterinarian. A baby elephant typically weighs around 20 stone, however it is unclear how old the couple were.

To extricate the elephant from the muck, rescuers use a branch with a rope tied to it as a lever. ‘Thank you to everyone who aided on the ground with these rescues,’ posted Wild is Life on Instagram.

It’s inspiring to witness loving Zimbabweans attempting to make a difference in the lives of the people they live with. Thank you really much!’

Men are pulling on a rope that has been passed beneath the elephant and the mud. The animals had suffered several injuries that the rescuers suspected were caused by hyenas.