Here’s the moment when two baby elephants decided to give charging a go for the very first time. It was caught on camera.
Janet Kleyn (53) filmed footage at Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana this month. It shows two elephant calves practicing charging while others drink from the well.
While the rest of their herd looks on, the calves playfully run by the water and charge at the Eland Antelope.
However, the antelope doesn’t seem to be bothered by these calves. She simply watches and waits for the herd leave so it can have its drink.
There is a boom in the number of elephants living at this reserve, and visitors are treated to lovely scenes with mother’s holding their baby.
The herd’s primary task is to raise and protect its young members, as well as teach survival skills. Babies elephants receive intense maternal care for their first two year of life from a group of aunts, mothers and uncles. From then on they will learn by themselves.
The calves are seen running by the river, charging at Eland as the rest watch.
However, the antelope doesn’t seem to be bothered by their calves and patiently waits for them move on
A delighted visitor from Botswana’s Mashatu Game Reserve captured the footage.
The elephants were chasing after the visitors to the watering hole.
Bulls, or male elephants, will usually leave their herd at 12-14 years old. They can live in small groups of bachelors or alone.
A group of older males will accompany an older bull, who will then pass along survival tips and social skills for the younger generation.
A calf at birth will weigh between 170 to 250 pounds, and be 36 inches tall from the shoulders. The newborn calf will be brought to his feet immediately after birth. It can then stand independently without any assistance in just minutes.
Within days, the calves will be strong enough for the herd.
It’s not the first time that the Mashatu Game Reserve elephants have been captured on video.
Visitors enjoyed scenes of the herd playing with the mud in earlier months.
And in September, photographer Janet Kleyn captured a baby elephant struggling to wriggle out of a pool before it was helped out by other herd members.
Mashatu Game Reserve, which is located in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve wilderness area, is privately owned.
It is one of the most important privately-owned game reserves in Southern Africa. It lies east of Botswana, where Limpopo River and Shashe River meet.
You will find wide open spaces, riverine forests and grasslands, as well as rocky hills, marshland or marshlands.
Mashatu is a name that means “Land of the Giants” and derives its name from Nyala or Mashatu berry trees and the giants who roam its territory.
The reserve also houses giraffes and antelopes as well as birds, ostriches, and other animals. This means that the reserve contains Africa’s seven big land-based giants.