Fears for the calf's safety have grown after footage showed the baby animal walking among a herd of elephants in Kruger National Park without its critical body part.
Safari workers said they didn't know exactly how it had lost its iconic appendage but it was likely ripped off by a predator.
The chances of an adult elephant surviving in the wild without its trunk are slim.
An adult needs to eat between 200-600 pounds of food a day and drink up to 50 gallons of water a day.
Without a trunk it would be near-impossible for the animal to consume that much food or water.
The trunk is also important for social interactions.
Elephants use their trunks to hug, caress and comfort other elephants.
Without the tools to form bonds with fellow elephants, it may be ousted from its herd and vulnerable to predators.
Source Daily Mail
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