Young elephant stuck in mud for days put down
A young elephant has had to be put down after it was stuck in mud for up to four days on the shores of a Zimbabwean Lake.
Animal welfare group, Kariba Animal Welfare Trust says the bull was stuck up to his head on Lake Kariba's shores.
The elephant, which was using its trunk as a snorkel, was stranded for four days without food and water.
Guides from the nearby Gache Gache Lodge and state rangers worked together to try to free the bull.
"He was eventually pulled out and could not stand; could not get up by himself," said the Trust, quoting Roy Townsend of Gache Gache Lodge.
The young elephant has had to be euthanised due to it's weak state.
"After an extremely long wait for this boy to get up, bearing in mind that an adult or sub-adult elephant cannot be left down for too long, the decision was made by Parks and Wildlife to euthanise him," the trust said in a statement.
Heartbreaking photos of the attempted rescue of the elephant have been shared on Gache Gache's Facebook page.
See photos below of the elephant during it's rescue.
(Photos via Facebook/Gache Gache Lodge - Kariba Zimbabwe)