2012-02-20 Amboseli NP, Kenya

This was a very interesting day, as we were lucky to see a tiny Elephant calf born just one hour before we came across the family. After talking with the Amboseli Elephant Research Project team, we identified the female giving birth as Dupes. We watched as the calf struggled to stand, surrounded by the mother and the rest of the family. A couple of other families came in to greet the newborn and help the family to chase the Hyenas that surrounded them to get to the placenta. The Hyenas finally succeeded despite repeated charges. Throughout, the newborn remained at the centre of the group, trying to suckle from any Elephant it could reach. We left them past noon, when the calf succeeded taking its first steps and followed the family for a few hundred meters to the edge of the swamp, where they spent the rest of the day. More Elephants sightings and close encounters kept us busy until sundown, with a strong downpour in the middle of the day. We also saw a Lioness with three tiny cubs playing in the early morning.