A newborn elephant has had to be rescued by helicopter after he was abandoned by his mother in the
Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya
Footage shows the adorable baby elephant riding in the passenger seat, being held in the arms of one of the conservation workers.
The elephant was abandoned after being born prematurely, and therefore was too small to reach his mother's teats.
A spokesperson for the Mara Elephant project said: 'The project protects elephants to conserve the greater Mara ecosystem.
'Intervening with abandoned baby elephants is something we do on a regular basis, so we know to stay calm and collected.
'This was, however, the first time we've had a pachyderm passenger in our helicopter, they are usually slightly too big for the trip.
'The circumstances surround the death of a mother due to human-elephant conflict; however, as in this case, that's not always the case.'
The baby bush elephant was given the name Panya and is now being cared for at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphanage.
It was rescued by the Mara Elephant Project with the help of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Friends of the Mara, Kenya Wildlife Service and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
