This Baby Elephant Tragically Lost Its Trunk, And Experts Are Fearful About Whether It Can Survive

this baby elephant tragically loses its trunk and experts are fearful about whether it can survive but before we start please make sure to subscribe to m r tv and hit the bell so you never miss any upload from us also leave a like right now as the camera panned across an elephant heard the photographer focused on a calf even from a distance it was obvious the little one's trunk was missing the footage sent a ripple of concern through animal lovers and experts alike sparking debate over the stricken pachyderms ultimate fate africa is known for its exotic wildlife so naturally it's a popular destination among safari seeking visitors however some parts of the continent offer rich hunting opportunities so it also appears to big game enthusiasts and illegal poachers alike as a result conservation is essential to keeping threatened species alive and that's where the game reserves such as kruger national park knp in northeastern south africa come in within game reserve boundaries hunting native animals is either controlled or forbidden entirely to police this knp uses drones in park rangers to fight against poaching rhinoceros and elephants are particularly at risk because some of their body parts fetch a high price on the black market specifically rhino horns and elephant tusks are high value products to poachers the tragic part is that these wonderful creatures as numbers are dwindling as a result take elephants for instance they're so important to africa that experts think of them as a keystone species that means the animals have a huge impact on the local environment indeed their presence is vital to the well-being of other species in the ecosystem quite apart from that elephants are fascinating creatures with a close family structure they're intelligent beasts too with highly developed brains that are capable of processing a wide range of emotions furthermore they can use tools show evidence of self-awareness and seem to care deeply for their young elephants even look after other herd members as calves additionally elephants are unselfish animals in this regard they differ from other species that tend to ignore the more vulnerable individuals among their social group elephants commonly go out of their way to help weaker wounded members of the herd perhaps this explains the recent footage of an injured baby elephant on july 1 2018 some visitors to the knp came across an upsetting site they saw a baby elephant minus its trunk one of them managed to film the afflicted calf and pass the footage to other park guides in the vicinity hoping that they may be able to assist the poor pachyderm the sorrowful sight of an elephant missing its vital appendage is tragic but how did it happen the truth is that no one really knows several people including the cameraman himself have floated theories yet without firm facts it's all conjecture the photographer spoke to news flair about his suspicions regarding the missing proboscis crocodiles grabbing baby elephants by their trunks while drinking water have been recorded in kruger before he said and this was the most likely reason for this baby elephant losing its crucially important body part an attack by a predator is definitely possible national geographic explorer and elephant advocate joyce poole confirmed on the other hand she disagrees that it's the most probable reason for the missing appendage poole explained that the nature of a crocodile attack means any resulting wounds are likely to look somewhat ragged the stub of the trunk in this case however appears relatively smooth when a crocodile strikes it holds its prey in its mouth and spins around in a death roll the resulting injuries are often rough and messy unlike the elephant calf's trunk stump additionally an attack from any other wild predator such as a lion or leopard would probably be just as brutal so if it wasn't a predator that took the baby elephant's trunk then what was it colorado state university's elephant specialist george whittemeyer believes he has the answer on september 7 2018 he told national geographic how he suspected human involvement to be more exact widamir indicated poaching snares as a likely culprit for the calf's lost trunk legs caught in snares tend to have the snare still embedded in the leg he explained but trunks don't contain a bone to limit further damage trunks that are caught in snares tend to be severed with a maya revealed poole added that although a trunkless calf seems like an unusual sight it happens far more often than it should it's pretty common in areas where there's snaring going on she stated gorongosa national park in mozambique is one such area in that park says pool there are quite a few elephants missing the ends of their trunks and some even have their trunks regarding this pool admitted that this particular truncated trunk is the most extreme she can remember seeing sometimes the snares aren't even meant for elephants the animals actually set the traps off accidentally so what does the future hold for a calf without its trunk well that depends on who you ask since expert opinion is divided the man who shot the footage said the animal would likely perish without its proboscis an individual can simply not survive without its trunk he told news flare elephants used their trunks to feed drink water and smell unfortunately the future for this poor little one looked very bleak widamir agreed the calf's survival is unlikely but according to poole there remains a glimmer of hope it will obviously have a harder time than other elephants she told national geographic but it may be being helped by members of the family their behavior is so adaptable so flexible and pool had more good news it looks like that wound has healed she said so it's had it for a while and is in very good condition the calf is not thin so it's getting enough nutrition somewhere perhaps the herds altruism and the calf's intelligence will help it survive after all you