Elephant unlatches gate to save South African antelopes

The matriarch of a herd of elephants opened a gate with her trunk to free antelopes being held at a camp in eastern South Africa.

Conservationist Lawrence Anthony said a game capture company had rounded up the antelopes at their camp near Empangeni to relocate them for breeding.

The team were settling in for the night when the herd of 11 elephants approached and the matriarch carefully undid the latches and swung the gate open.

"At this stage the onlookers realised this was not a mission for free food, but actually a rescue," Anthony said.

The elephants watched the antelopes leave the camp before they walked off into the night.