Durban - Despite weighing close to three tons, a female elephant was spotted walking on three legs in a section of the Kruger National Park.
The elephant, Vutomi, was spotted by Cathan Moore walking with its herd at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga.
Moore, a wildlife photographer, said he only heard reports of Vutomi and was surprised to have spotted her.
“The aim of this morning's drive was to make it to the wild dog den and spend time with their new pups, but like everything in the bush, nature has its own plan and so just as we were about to reach the den – we drove slap bang into this large herd of elephants.
“To my amazement, I noticed an elephant with a very unorthodox walk in between the mass of grey bodies and on closer approach, realised it was Vutomi, the 3-legged elephant! Her story has an element of mystery, however, we believe that her amputation was the result of either a landmine from the Mozambique civil war or a gin trap set by poachers.
“It is very easy to allow your spirit to be overwhelmed by sorrow, but it’s important to also see her as a testament to nature's resilience! Give nature the opportunity to, and she will bounce back!” he said.
IOL