This thirsty mother elephant was faced with a pride of hungry lions when she was forced to visit a quiet waterhole with her newborn twins.
“We set off at dawn, entering Chobe National Park at 6 a.m. in search of elephants, we headed to a remote watering hole inland, as we hadn’t seen any the night before along the river.”
Upon arrival around 6:30 am, the first sight that greeted them was a pride of lions feasting on a young buffalo. “It was a special sighting, but what followed was extraordinary,” Desmond recalls. Just then, a female elephant, accompanied by her twin calves—a rarity in itself—approached the watering hole. Seeing an elephant with twins is a very rare occurrence. It must have been very difficult for the mother elephant to take care of two tiny babies at the same time. She had to find enough food and water for both and keep them safe.
“She was unaware of the lurking danger as she led her babies to quench their thirst. The mother elephant was desperate for water. The dry season had left few water sources, and this isolated waterhole was their only hope. Despite the risks, she had no choice but to lead her twins there. Suddenly, she realized the presence of the lions. The pride, having just fed, surprisingly turned their attention to the new arrivals.”
“The mother elephant realizing the danger, tried to fend off the lions. The lions retreated but soon regrouped, and this time they encircled the mother and calves. In a bold move to fend them off, she charged at them, hoping to scare them away. This left her calves momentarily unguarded. It was during this critical moment that the lions seized the opportunity to attack. In the chaos, one of the calves tripped, and a male lion saw its chance. He pounced and grabbed it!”
