Let's All Watch This or Read the Transcript Because It Is Terrific and We Need All the Terrific Things

Below, video of the rescue of a baby elephant from a muddy pond, and his reunion with his mother, care of the Kenya Wildlife Service and Amboseli Trust for Elephants at Amboseli National Park in Kenya:


Video Description: Text onscreen reads "5 days old calf rescued from a muddy pond by Kenya Wildlife Service and Amboseli Trust for Elephants." Two people appear onscreen: A middle-aged black man named Richard Chepkwony, who is the Senior Warden at Amboseli National Park, a middle-aged black woman named Soila Sayialel, who is the Deputy Director of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants. They stand near their vehicles on a savannah, looking as though they're discussing strategy, while a large herd of elephants lingers close by.

In the middle of the long arc of the herd is a small round muddy pond, in which is trapped a tiny newborn elephant, who cannot climb over the steep banks of the pond. His mother hovers near the pond, and the rescuers use a vehicle to gently push her away to a distance that will be safe for them as they attempt to rescue her calf.

Once she has been moved away, more vehicles pull in, creating a barrier between the herd and the pit. It is not impenetrable, by any means, but it affords the rescuers some safety.

The rescuers hop out of the vehicles, and Sayialel directs them into place. As they congregate around the edge of the pond opposite the vehicle barrier, the baby elephant moves toward them, as if he knows they are there to help. Three men immediately hop into the water.

They make several attempts to secure the baby elephant with a long belt of fabric, at Sayialel's instruction. The baby slides out on the first attempt, but, eventually, using a combination of pulling and pushing, they get the baby elephant up onto the bank of the pond. The baby stumbles, clearly exhausted. Sayialel pushes the baby forward, helping him over the angled bank. She laughs.

The baby elephant is covered in mud. Sayialel puts her hands on his side, gently guiding it around the side of the pond and into the grass toward his mother. She looks up as they walk, keeping track of where Mama is.

Once she has moved the baby a safe distance from the pond's edge into the grass, Sayialel walks back toward the vehicles, shaking the mud off of her hands. The rescue team gets into their vehicles and begin to drive away.

The baby stands in the grass, alone. The camera pans to the left, and Mama is cautiously walking toward her baby. As she gets closer, she begins to run. She goes to her baby and stands over him protectively, curling her truck around him. She trumpets. Baby trumpets. She stares at the rescuers, while caressing her baby.

Mama walks starts to walk away, baby happily trailing after her, then turns around and gives the rescuers one last look, as if to say thank you.

Far away from the pit now, the baby begins to nurse, and then Mama and her calf march off across the savannah, to catch up with the rest of the herd.