This series of stunning photos shows an adorable elephant calf being given a helping hand from mum after getting stuck in a watering hole.

The incident took place on the Chobe River, Botswana, and was captured by Neal Cooper, 50, a professional photographer from South Africa.

The young calf appeared to be having an incredible time frolicking around in the water – but when playtime was over, he struggled to get back onto dry land.

But the baby’s mother came to the rescue, wrapping her trunk around the youngster’s body and hoisting him out of the pool before giving him a gentle kick up the backside to help him scramble up the bank.

Neal said: ‘The elephant family had arrived by the river and the little one wanted to play and bathe in the water.

‘But the elephant calf was only a few weeks old and so the mother needed to keep an eye on him to make sure that it didn’t get into any danger.

‘It looked like the mum was teaching the calf how to use the mud to stay cool in the heat, but also how to get out when it got stuck. She looked like she was teaching by setting an example.

‘The river is always a fantastic place to visit and photograph wild elephants because you can witness different family units and how they interact with other families as well as their own.’