[Video] Olifantkalfie uit opgaardam geredAmanzi was slegs ‘n paar dae oud toe hy gered is. Facebook via Elephants Alive ŉ Olifantkalfie wat slegs ŉ paar dae oud is, moes Dinsdag uit ŉ opgaardam van ŉ kopermyn in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, gered word. Die kalfie, wat nou in die sorg van die niewinsgewende organisasie Elephants Alive is, het vermoedelik in die dam geval toe hy saam met sy trop by die dam kom water drink het. Volgens Elephants Alive se Facebook-blad het Johan Bezuidenhout en Quenton du Plessis die olifantbulkalfie uit die dam gehaal en twee keer probeer vrylaat tussen olifanttroppe naby die dam, maar hulle wou hom nie aanvaar nie. Die olifantjie was ook baie gedehidreer en uitgeput en ŉ veearts moes ontbied word. Die olifantjie, wat nou Amanzi gedoop is deur die personeel by Elephants Alive, word tans by die Hoedspruit-sentrum vir bedreigde spesies versorg, waar Lammie, ŉ skaap, hom geselskap hou. Christo Schreiber by Amanzi. Foto: Facebook via Elephants Alive Volgens Elephants Alive word Amanzi elke twee tot drie uur ŉ spesiale melkformule gevoer wat hom help om te herstel en sy krag weer op te bou. Afgesien van ŉ kneusplek bokant een van sy oë het Amanzi gelukkig nie erge beserings opgedoen toe hy in die dam geval het nie. Amanzi is glo mal oor water en speel graag met ŉ krip vol drinkwater of rol rond in die modderpoel in sy kamp. Weens die hoë temperature in die provinsie, moes die span Amanzi ook fyn dophou om te bepaal of hy al die regte gedragspatrone aangeleer het om die hitte te kan hanteer. “Hy is ŉ baie slim olifantjie,” het Elephants Alive geskryf. “Hy bly in die skaduwee en spat homself vol water as hy warm kry. Hy probeer selfs die kraan oopdraai as ons nie vinnig genoeg spring om hom af te spuit nie!” Besoek gerus Elephants Alive se webwerf om by te dra tot Amanzi se versorgingskoste. Bela, originally thought to be a female, has been renamed Amanzi, which means water in Zulu. When you watch this clip, it will make sense why. We share with you the moment, accounted by Mike Kendrick below, when this tiny orphaned elephant was rescued. When one thinks of a holding dam, this is not what comes to mind! Poor thing. "A couple of people from Electrical Services at Phalaborwa Copper, Limpopo had reported the stranded calf to the Wildlife Supervisor, Johann McDonald. Inspection of the dam revealed numerous scuff marks from elephants trying to bend down to rescue the calf were still visible. Johann thought that the elephants left the area around 5h00-6h00 when human activity around the mine usually begins to increase. Elephants form such strong family and maternal bonds that one can only imagine how distressed the baby, its mother and the herd must have been. Johann and his team got the baby out of the water and loaded him onto the back of a pick-up truck to try and reintroduce him to the breeding herds which were still in the vicinity. Twice they tried reintroducing him with the first herd’s matriarch pushing him off his feet. It was now around midday and the little calf began looking weak and in need of rehydration. In quick response to the emergency call, the Elephants Alive team met Johann and the calf at the gate of Phalaborwa Copper." Brothers Johan Bezuidenhout and Quenton du Plessis were the rescuers, who deserve a unanimous and global round of applause! There is such kindness in people. Posted by Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre on Friday, February 19, 2016