She knelt, exhaustion weighing down on her as she reached out a hand to the calf, who had pressed itself close to her side, its tiny trunk reaching out to touch her hand in a gesture of shared relief.
The mother elephant, having ensured the poachers’ threat was neutralized, lumbered over to them, her calm, wise eyes meeting Amara’s. She placed a gentle trunk over her calf’s back, guiding it closer to her side.