A baby elephant was captured on film as it clumsily tried to walk for the first time, resembling the steps of Disney’s Bambi before spectacularly falling to the ground. Caroline Deschuymere, a wildlife photographer from Belgium, had the incredible opportunity to witness this heartwarming scene while on a safari in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. As she sat in the camp, she suddenly saw an elephant wandering into the area and moments later, witnessed the miracle of birth as the newborn elephant took its first shaky steps.
In the vast plains of Mana Pools, Zimbabwe, a young calf struggles to rise to its feet at Mwinilunga Safaris, determined to stay close to its mother.
We’re almost there! The little elephant is having a tough time keeping his balance as he extends his trunk and tail to stay steady. In the video, you can see the baby elephant twisting his trunk and wiggling his tail as he tries to stay upright on his legs. The clip also captures the calf pausing before taking his first step, only to end up falling to the ground. While his mother continues walking ahead, the elephant attempts to stand up again but ends up toppling over his trunk once more.
The elephant falls to the earth as he quickly discovers that walking for the first time is more challenging than he had expected.
As he watches his mother walk gracefully, the young elephant tentatively extends his trunk to match her pace, finally getting the hang of walking on his own. At first, his feet slip like Bambi on ice, but soon he finds his balance and confidently strides alongside his mother. Caroline mentioned that usually, she would prioritize searching for African wild dogs or lions in the early morning because they tend to be more active during that time.
Bambi! Caroline Deschuymere, a wildlife photographer from Belgium, compared the elephant she saw to Disney’s famous character Bambi. She had planned to photograph something else that morning, but the sight of baby elephants everywhere caught her attention. As she observed the elephants near her camp, a sudden commotion drew her focus. It turned out that a female elephant had just given birth to a calf, which was a beautiful and unexpected moment to witness in the wild.
The mother gazes fondly at her young calf, watching him as he hurries to keep pace with her during their stroll through the safari.
The persistent calf refuses to quit as he practices his steps in front of his mother.
The little one struggled for over an hour to stand up, but his legs were still wobbly, so he had to figure out how to straighten them first.
Next, he had to work on balancing them, and I couldn’t help but chuckle watching him attempt to stay upright. He looked like he had a bit too much to drink.
But after persevering, he finally succeeded, with his older sibling cheering him on all the way.