Watch this new sighting of a wild baby elephant by Ranger Reece above.

While elephants are extremely intelligent animals, they need to first learn a whole world of skills and knowledge when they’re tiny calves before they can rule their wilderness (and unruly trunks and big feet).

After 22 months inside their mother, the calf is delivered into the world and must stand up quickly so to get to mom’s teat for that vital first drink. It can be somewhat worrisome watching this process as baby struggles to get control over its limbs now that it’s out in the gravity-controlled wild. The calf needs to over time develop its survival instincts, and stays close to mom’s legs to learn all they can, and for the protection they need as fragile young creatures.

Clearly this calf has gained for confidence and is moving into the investigating phase of development, where everything needs to be smelt and tasted and approached with ears fanned out. This baby comes in close to the vehicle as our Ranger and guests sit by quietly.

Notice that mom is never far from the calf as one can never let your source of all things essential slip too far from sight. The elephant’s mother provides nutrients, hygiene and lessons in survival out in the bush. The calves will learn by copying and experimenting, and indeed investigating, just like a human infant, whose beginning years are vital in learning necessary life skills.

Watch more wondrous baby elephants in action in our videos on YouTube: