Elephant rescue in Zambia

Photograph courtesy Abraham Banda, Norman Carr Safaris

A mother African elephant and her baby lie mired in mud as family members look on in  Zambia's Luangwa Valley  on November 1.

The pair were rescued by wildlife officials and conservationists after a two-hour battle against heat, dehydration, and rapidly drying mud.

MIRE = ENREDARSE, ENLODARSE

MUD = LODO, BARRO

WILDLIFE OFFICIALS = AGENTES MEDIOAMBIENTALES

The Kapani lagoon, where the elephants got strapped, is nearly dry and very sticky at this time of year—making it easy for an animal to become ensnared (...)

On this particular occasion the baby became trapped first. (...)

GET STRAPPED = QUEDAR ATRAPADO

STICKY = PEGAJOSO

ENSNARE = ATRAPAR

When the mother elephant came to help the baby, she sank into the mud as well. Other members of the herd quickly retreated when the rescuers arrived (...)

Without a rescue attempt, the prospects for the elephants were grim, South Luangwa Conservation Society's McRobb noted.

SINK, sank, sunk = HUNDIRSE

HERD = MANADA, REBAÑO

RETREAT = RETIRARSE

RESCUE ATTEMPT = INTENTO DE RESCATE

PROSPECT = PERSPECTIVA, POSIBILIDAD

GRIM = NEFASTO, SOMBRÍO

"If hyenas and lions didn't come and eat them alive, they would have slowly just dehydrated" to death over a period of five or six days, McRobb said.

   

...................................................................................More photos: "Dramatic" Elephant Rescue in Zambia