Olare's Story

At 10am on the 5th of August just one day after the dramatic rescue of baby “Turkwell”, a young calf and its ailing mother was seen by a passing tourist who passed the report to the KWS vet Dr. Dominic Mijele, of our Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit.

Olare's Story

By the time the Mobile Veterinary Unit located the elephant and its calf, the mother was in a pathetic and horrific state of collapse, able only to move her front legs and trunk, her baby clinging to her in a state of sheer terror and confusion. Dr. Dominic Mijele immobilized the mother to assess the cause of her suffering and found that an injury had shattered her femur, it caused nerve damage so sever that she was left paralyzed, with no hope of recovery or survival, and it is assumed that the injury was caused by a bullet wound, but that could not be confirmed.

The Trust was alerted of yet another rescue arriving at the Olkiombo airstrip where Dr. Dominic Mijele and KWS Rangers awaited the keepers. From the airstrip they were then driven to the ailing mother and her terrified baby some 20 kilometers away so that their expertise could ensure a smooth capture of the calf. It was a heart-wrenching scene that greeted them, the mother attempting to protect the terrified baby who was clinging to her and climbing on her in an attempt to evade a hated enemy responsible for the suffering of her adored mother. There were no dry eyes that day as the Keepers moved in to try to capture the baby once the mother was darted to immobilize her and prevent her flailing trunk from injuring the men, and to minimize any further stress.

The calf was still strong at approximately 1 year old; also quite capable of injuring a man, so the keepers needed the assistance of the KWS Rangers. Once the baby was loaded and on its way to the waiting plane, the vet euthanized the mother, thus ending her unbearable suffering.

Adopt Olare for yourself or as a gift.

Important Note: Thank you for considering an adoption. Each orphan needs more than one foster parent: your adoption donation will be processed by the SWT UK and Kenya to help all the orphans in our care.

Adopt Olare for yourself or as a gift.

Important Note: Thank you for considering an adoption. Each orphan needs more than one foster parent: your adoption donation will be processed by the SWT UK and Kenya to help all the orphans in our care.

Current Age

15 years old

Gender

Female

Rescued date

5 August 2009

Rescue Location

Maasai Mara, Olare Orok Conservancy

Date of Birth (approximate)

8 September 2008

Reason Orphaned

Unknown

Age at Rescue

10 months old (approx)

Current Location

Living Wild

Olare's featured photos

Our digital adoption programme includes the following:

Personalised adoption certificate.

Monthly email update on your orphan and the project.

Monthly watercolour by Angela Sheldrick.

Access to special content; latest Keepers' Diaries, videos and photos

Give Olare the gift of life by adopting today.

Olare's Calves

Meet Olare's wild born offspring.

Ola

Female

Olare debuted her newborn daughter on 28th November 2023. This is a poignant new chapter for Olare, who stands out as one of our most tragic rescue stories. We are thrilled that this gentle, brave elephant is now starting a wild family of her own. Read more

Latest updates featuring Olare

Olare Gives Birth to Her First Baby, Ola

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Olare's latest photos

Olare and Ola

Mukkoka, baby Ola and Olare

Olare's baby nursing

Olare with the orphans

Olare arriving at the mud bath

Olare, Naisula and Nyx

Olare

Milo following Olare