During a safari in the Kruger National Park we came across a rare sight of a newborn male elephant. To see any newborn animal in the wild is a special occasion and it’s definitely not easy to find on a safari. Newborn elephants especially are difficult to see as they are extremely well protected and hidden by the whole herd. We stopped at a herd of elephants to see what the commotion in the herd was all about. The elephants where trumpeting and rumbling while grouping close together in one area. Suddenly we saw the movement on the ground. It was a newborn male elephant that was lying on the ground. The whole herd was there to assist the little one to get back onto his feet. Amazingly there was another baby elephant that also rushed in to help. The newborn elephant was estimated at only four to five hours old. The calf just dried off and the mother still had blood down her back legs. A remaining piece of the afterbirth or placenta was still attached to the mother elephant. It was very amusing to watch this little elephant trying to walk with his new wobbly legs. Every now and then the baby elephant would lose his balance or stumble and trip over dead branches and uneven ground. His mother and other herd members were right by his side to help and assist all the time. It was really funny to see how the baby elephant would walk with stiff legs, still trying to figure out how to walk properly. It was a special and rare experience to see a newborn elephant, busy with his first day of life in a wild and natural environment.