Baby elephant cries for five hours after mother tries to stamp on him

They say an elephant never forgets. And when this newborn tiny tusker was rejected by his mum at a zoo in eastern China, his keepers say he cried for five hours without stopping.

The heartbroken calf at the Shendiaoshan Wild Animal Natural Reserve Area, in Rongcheng, Shandong province is now being cared for by a keeper.

The youngster's mum stepped on her son shortly after giving birth at the end of August and vets, at first, thought it was an accident.

But when they treated the 86kg calf's injuries and returned him to his mum two hours later, she did it again until keepers drove her off.

"The calf was very upset and he was crying for five hours before he could be consoled. He couldn't bear to be parted from his mother and it was his mother who was trying to kill him," said one keeper.

Now the elephant, called Zhuangzhuang, has been adopted by the keeper who saved him.

"They have made a good bond. We don't know why the mother turned on her calf but we couldn't take a chance," said a park spokesman.

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