I mentioned earlier in the week that you won’t find anything on the African plains much cuter than a baby giraffe. I left the door open a bit because there are a few legitimate contenders. Baby elephants being one of them. I met this little guy in Botswana on my last trip to Africa. The poor little thing had a foreshortened trunk, perhaps a birth defect, but more likely the result of an encounter with a predator. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/250th of a second
His mom was nearby and just after I took this picture she moved into the scene and touched trunks. See this previous post https://seancrane.com/2013/09/snub-nosed-baby-elephant/. And now that I look at that post from September of 2013, I see that I said almost the same exact thing about the baby elephant.
Will his foreshortened trunk, without the prehensile tip, effect his ability to eat and thrive as he ages and is no longer nursing? Don’t elephants need those finger like projections to help gather food and put it in their mouths? Will he be able to use his trunk effectively or do you think he will die as a result of his missing trunk end , or , truncated trunk? Sorry for the bad pun. He is so sweet, I hate to think of him failing to thrive once he is on his own. Will he be ok, barring anything else unforeseen affecting him?
Thanks for the picture and information, Sean.
Hi Melissa,
I like to think he’ll be okay. Elephants are very good at protecting the less fortunate members of the herd. And this guy was already doing a pretty good job of eating and drinking with that short trunk. You can see that it is wet up to his mouth. Here’s to hoping at least.
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I mentioned earlier in the week that you won’t find anything on the African plains much cuter than a baby giraffe. I left the door open a bit because there are a few legitimate contenders. Baby elephants being one of them. I met this little guy in Botswana on my last trip to Africa. The poor little thing had a foreshortened trunk, perhaps a birth defect, but more likely the result of an encounter with a predator.
What does it matter that —- You’re not what you’re supposed to be —- It matters that you are .
Really touched my heart will this little guy survive ok & where is his Momma
His mom was nearby and just after I took this picture she moved into the scene and touched trunks. See this previous post https://seancrane.com/2013/09/snub-nosed-baby-elephant/. And now that I look at that post from September of 2013, I see that I said almost the same exact thing about the baby elephant.
Dumbo!!!! Great capture!
Too cute! He’s actually smiling at you.
This is the cutest little elephant I have ever seen! Great shot.
Poor little nugget! Mama Crane’s right though, he’s still smiling.
I couldn’t wait to open this today. Who doesn’t love a baby elephant?
Adorable. It makes me sad to think someone took a bite out of him, but he seems to have rebounded.
Will his foreshortened trunk, without the prehensile tip, effect his ability to eat and thrive as he ages and is no longer nursing? Don’t elephants need those finger like projections to help gather food and put it in their mouths? Will he be able to use his trunk effectively or do you think he will die as a result of his missing trunk end , or , truncated trunk? Sorry for the bad pun. He is so sweet, I hate to think of him failing to thrive once he is on his own. Will he be ok, barring anything else unforeseen affecting him?
Thanks for the picture and information, Sean.
Hi Melissa,
I like to think he’ll be okay. Elephants are very good at protecting the less fortunate members of the herd. And this guy was already doing a pretty good job of eating and drinking with that short trunk. You can see that it is wet up to his mouth. Here’s to hoping at least.
Maybe he went to the same plastic surgeon as Renee Zellweger.
There’s another theory that I hadn’t thought of.
me be can cath this and put him in the zoo so ever one can see him?