Lamz.Captivating Moment: Tiny Elephant Takes First Tentative Steps Before Tumbling to the Ground

A newborn elephant was caught on camera taking his first Bambi-like steps before faceplanting the ground.
Wildlife photographer Caroline Deschuymere, from Belgium, spotted the tiny elephant while exploring Mwinilunga Safaris in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe.
Caroline was in the camp when she noticed an elephant stumble into the grounds and give birth.


The calf stumbles to his feet in Mwinilunga Safaris in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe, as he tries to keep up with his mother

Nearly there! The tiny elephant struggles to balance as he stretches out his trunk and tail for stability
Footage shows the baby elephant twist his trunk and move his tail as he struggles to balance on his legs.
The video shows the calf hesitate as he takes his first step before tumbling to the ground.
While his mother walks on ahead, the elephant tries again and falls over his trunk.

The elephant tumbles to the ground as taking his first steps proves to be harder than he first imagined

He extends his trunk to keep up with his mother as he finally gets the knack of walking
The elephant struggles to get up as his feet slip on the ground like Disney’s Bambi on ice.
But it didn’t take long before he got the knack of it and began walking alongside his mother.
Caroline said: ‘Normally I would look for the African wild dogs or lions first because they are more active in the early morning.

Bambi! Wildlife photographer Caroline Deschuymere, from Belgium, likened the elephant to Disney’s Bambi
‘But that morning, for some reason, I saw tiny baby elephants everywhere, so I decided to stick with them.
‘There are always elephants around camp who came to eat and drink during that time of day, and it is always a treat to just watch them, suddenly there was a commotion.
‘At first we couldn’t figure out what it was, but then we saw it, the cow had just dropped her baby.

The mother tenderly looks at her tiny calf as he struggles to keep up with her while walking through the safari

The determined calf shows no signs of giving up as he shows off his steps in front of his mother
‘The baby tried to get on his feet for more than an hour but his legs were still bent, so he first had to learn how to stretch them.
‘Then he had to learn how to balance them, I could not stop laughing when he was trying to stay on his feet. He looked a little drunk.
‘But finally, he did it and his older sibling was very supportive.’