Animals, unlike humans, lack hands, which often come in handy when caught up in complex situations.
Unluckily for little Senofo, a 9-year-old elephant, he had to roam around Amboseli National Park with a spear lodged in one of its ears.
Vlogger Brian Kimani, in a recent video, narrated that the spear hit the elephant during an altercation with residents near the park.
The distress of the young elephant reached rangers at the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), who, in liaison with wildlife conservationists, swung into action to rescue it.
Normally, the rangers use sedatives to make the mammal unconscious for a few minutes and ease the process.
However, in this case, the rangers were forced to put themselves in danger to rescue the elephant surrounded by the family, including the matriarch- the female leader.
According to the rangers, the elephant takes about 10-15 minutes to be unconscious, with the dose measured to avoid more complications.
"Rescuing a wild animal is not an easy job, especially an elephant one of the largest land animals. They do not respond well to being cornered since they live in constant fear of being poached," Kimani stated.
Initially, the rangers thought of sedating the elderly elephant crossed their minds, but the possibility of her falling on Senofo was high. The weight would lead to the death of the calf.
Therefore, to scare away the mother and leader of the herd, the rangers headed in her direction, but she initially resisted moving.
After the minutes-long back and forth between the animal and the rangers, the matriarch moved to a safer distance but still close enough to see her calf and pounce into action in case of danger.
The spear was removed by a veterinary working with KWS, who also treated the wound. He also gave Senofo an antidote, who got up and rushed to his family.
Notably, human-animal conflicts are common in Kenya but not unavoidable. The Ministry of Tourism always emphasises on the need for a peaceful living but also compensates affected residents.
