Baby Moyo, an elephant, was staring death in the face: she almost drowned. She weighed in at just 56 kilos, which means she was pretty small for an elephant.

These land giants can weigh over 6 tons.

The incident took place in Zimbabwe after she was separated from the rest of the herd.

But her time in this world was not over yet. She was saved from death and taken to a sanctuary called Wild is Life, operated by Roxy Danckwerts.

For Her Age, Moyo Was Quite Small

Calves her age normally weigh in at around 90 kgs. So, she needed plenty of help to get her strength and recover her health when she was rescued.

Roxy was touched by Moyo's story, and she made it her personal mission to care for her new wild friend. The unlikely duo would spend the whole day together and even sleep together. She wanted the young elephant to trust her and therefore have the strength to make it.

It worked.

But The Friendship Had Unintended Consequences

Moyo was totally into Roxy and would not let her out of her sight. She followed her everywhere she went, even inside the house.

She is no longer just a little elephant, she is now quite big and courageous, but she still doesn't know how to swim.

African elephants are natural swimmers, but things are different for Moyo, who suffered a trauma so early in life and in the process forgot this nature-given skill.

But If You Think Moyo Has Become A Burden, Then You Are Wrong

Today, she is a strong leader who has a herd of orphaned elephants looking up to her and following her lead.

Roxy is still attached to the elephant, and she admits that she doesn't see herself letting her friend go. Not after all the great moments, they have shared together.

In Africa, elephants are under threat as they are often hunted for their ivory, which is sold on the illegal ivory market.

Today, Moyo Has Even Met President Xi, And He Totally Loved The Experience

China has placed a ban on ivory trade since the end of 2017.

But that's the legal trade.

The illegal trade goes on as usual, and this is where the greatest problem lies. Many elephants lose their lives as poachers seek the ivory to keep this trade alive.

Hopefully, things will change for the better for Moyo and other elephants. Due to the situation now, far too many elephants are needlessly losing their lives to illegal poaching.

This needs to change.

We have known this for decades already, and it still remains a concern. We have a long way to go before these precious giants can roam freely in their natural habitats without fears that some poacher is waiting to take them down for their precious ivory.