PICTURES: Orphaned Elephant Rescued After Holding Vigil By Mother’s Body

An orphaned elephant held a vigil at his dead mother’s side after she succumbed to an infection in Samburu, Kenya, this week. The five-month-old would not budge from his parent’s side before he was sedated by rescuers and taken to a sanctuary at Nairobi National Park. The five-month-old calf wouldn't leave his dead mother's side. The keepers, who called the calf Sokotei, fed him back to health and introduced him to other orphaned elephants. He will remain there until he is old enough to go out to the bush and learn how to be a wild elephant. According to reports, this can take up to eight years. Sokotei has bonded with the other elephants at the orphanage. [Images via YouTube/ Barcroft TV]