A rare sight was captured on camera recently in eastern India: a mother elephant escorting her newborn baby before it could even walk.

Footage captured on September 19 in the Jhargram district of West Bengal shows the mother nudging her baby along a river just moments after giving birth.

A little while later, the young elephant seems to have found her legs and totters along unsteadily next to mum.

A wild elephant gave birth and escorted its baby home in eastern India's West Bengal on September 19. The incident took place in Sankrail, located in the Jhargram district.

Visuals feature the elephant escorting its newborn across the region. Initially, the duo lingers in a field, following which they cross a gushing brook. The adult pachyderm uses its trunk and feet to usher the baby, while the calf rolls on the ground till the duo finally reaches the bank. Later, both the jumbos retreat to the forest cover while curious onlookers gather around.

Elephants in the region are known for straying off their corridors and emerging near civilization, making the locals familiar with such incidents, where they witness wildlife in its raw form.