Herd of elephants rescue collapsed baby elephant in Kruger National Park

Elephants in South Africa’s Kruger National Park manage to get baby elephant back on its feet

Young elephant saved by herd of elephants (YouTube/Kruger Sightings)

Bill Withers’ "Lean On Me" took on a new meaning this week after a baby elephant was rescued by members of its herd.

A group of five elephants initially tried to lend a hand by prodding the stricken elephant with their trunks and nudging it with their feet, but after several attempts the young elephant could not get up.

Running out of ideas, three elephants drifted back into the scrublands, leaving the rescue mission to just two elephants. The struggle continued but their persistence finally paid off with the elephant calf eventually making it back to its feet.

The footage was captured by Kruger Sightings, the national park’s official YouTube channel. It has already proved popular online receiving over 800,000 views in just three days, with many commenters suggesting we could learn a lot from the kindness on display.

The Kruger National Park protects large herds of elephants and in part due to their conservation measures, the elephant population in South Africa has grown from an estimated 120 in 1920 in 4 locations, to 10,000 at 40 locations.