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The following is NASALOT's
Orphan Profile.
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Quick Facts about
NASALOT
| Gender |
Female |
Date of Birth |
January 2000 |
| Location Found |
Nasalot Turkana |
| Age on Arrival |
2-3 Months |
| Comments on Place Found |
Mother poached for Ivory, she was found by tribesmen |
| Reason for being Orphaned |
Poaching |
A female calf born approximately January 2000; estimated age on arrival 2 - 3 months. "Nasalot" is a poaching orphan, her mother having been poached for her ivory near Nasalot in the Turkana region. There are only very few surviving elephants left in the harsh lava deserts of Turkanaland, and these survivors have had to turn nocturnal due to poaching pressure in an area known for lawlessness, feeding only during the hours of darkness, and in hiding in thorn thickets by day. We had great difficulty reversing Nasalot's sleeping pattern, for she wanted to sleep during the hours of daylight, and was extremely restless all night, pacing around the stable, and refusing to settle, which left her Keepers' basket cases by the morning! This was exacerbated by deep grieving for her lost family, whom she remembered clearly at her age, so psychological depression and lack of sleep took a heavy toll of her health in the beginning.
However, Nasalot, being the product of natural selection amongst the few survivors within a population with strong genes, she turned the corner at last, and is now a healthy and strong calf, very gentle and extremely caring of tiny "Mweya", who sucks endlessly on her ears for comfort.
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