A herd of Elephants were caught on camera making a nerve-wracking river crossing in very strong currents from the heavy rains.
The footage was captured during the recent flooding 3 weeks ago. The herd of Elephants tried to cross the Sabie river just north of Lower Sabie.
The videographer’s distress can be heard in the background while filling.
“First I thought they were swimming but soon realized the current are sweeping them away. It was nerve-wracking. I tried to keep up but with all the bushes it was not an easy task.”
As much as the footage shows the mammals being swept with the current, Elephants are actually excellent swimmers. The pachyderm’s massive body, very surprisingly, gives them enough buoyancy to float easily.
They usually swim completely submerged, with their head slightly above the water and their mouths below, and use all four legs to paddle.
The biggest advantage that elephants have above all other mammals is their trunk. A very versatile proboscis, they use their trunk like a snorkel.
This enables them to breathe normally when swimming and allows them to swim really long distances without much trouble.
The clip is quite nerve-wracking as the Elephants get swept away but all ends well as all the herd get to the other side after a very strenuous work out.
Watch the clip below:
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