The following is information on the Elephant Orphan named: MBEGU  (foster now)

Latest Updates on MBEGU:

• 7/5/2018 - Happy orphans Mbegu, Ndotto, Lasayen, Murit, Godoma and Ngilai at Voi
• 6/14/2018 - Ngilai, Godoma and Murit move to Voi
• 6/8/2018 - Laikipia visits the Voi Dependent Babies
• 6/5/2018 - Ndotto, Lasayen and Mbegu move to Voi
• 10/11/2017 - The rescue of Maktao
• 3/30/2015 - Mwashoti - Overcoming a potentially life threatening injury
• 9/5/2014 - The Rescue of Mbegu
• 7/6/2014 - The Babies

View to Location map for MBEGU (opens a new window)

Most Recent Keeper's Diary Entry: (view all the latest entries for MBEGU)

1/31/2019 - This morning the orphan elephants made their way out to browse right after the milk and supplement feeding was done. They had a peaceful browsing session on the flat lands along the northern side of the stockade before visiting the baobab water hole at noon. As the milk dependant orphans were busy milk feeding, Kenia’s herd noticed a big wild elephant herd drinking water, and went running over to join them as they were worried that the wild herd would drink all the clean water from the water trough. Mbegu’s herd joined them as soon as they had finished their milk feed.

Murit had a wonderful time interacting with a small wild elephant calf with whom he enjoyed a play fight. Bada and Suswa approached the two but were prevented from joining them by one of wild calf’s sisters who stuck by them, thwarting every attempt they made to join Murit and his new friend. The wild elephant calf followed Murit for a while, before her sisters called her back. A teenage wild elephant bull interacted with the orphan elephants coming in for a trunk touching greeting with Rorogoi before engaging Tundani in a wrestling game. Bada stood close to them watching the development of the game making sure to be there should Tundani need reinforcements. The wild bull then tried to mate with Kenia but was unsuccessful in doing so. A second wild elephant herd that appeared to be very thirsty came in for a drink and settled with the orphans after they had quenched their thirst. The orphans remained close to the water hole with the two wild herds for an hour with all three groups totaling to over fifty elephants.

The Two Latest Photos of MBEGU: (view gallery of pictures for MBEGU)

Mbegu watched over by a keeper photo taken on 5/16/2014	Mbegu and Kauro photo taken on 5/16/2014

ORPHAN PROFILE FOR: MBEGU (foster now)

Zoom / Enlarge On 15th May 2014 Angela was given news about a tiny calf needing to be rescued from the Naibunga Conservancy at Ol Lentille. This was a complicated situation as an elephant had killed a woman from the community and had been shot by KWS as a result. The calf had been left behind in the fracas that ensured with the stampeding herd, and any chance of reconciling her with the herd was impossible given the circumstances. The angry community of Kimanjo had set upon the baby in revenge spearing her several times. When she took refuge in the grounds of a nearby school the children began stoning her. Very swiftly the warden of the Naibunga Conservancy came to the calf’s rescue and kept her safe from the community who were baying for her blood in retaliation for recent events. While in close communications with KWS who were trying to instill calm to a difficult situation the DSWT rescue team were sent from Nairobi departing at 3.00pm from Wilson airport. After a one hour flight they arrived on the Ol Lentille airstrip and were immediately collected by a KWS land cruiser and taken to a nearby village where the calf was. Still the community surrounding the scene remained agitated and determined that the calf should not be rescued and removed from there. KWS along with the Conservancy personnel worked tirelessly trying to instill some understanding. It was a heartbreaking scene for our team to find the calf secured on the floor of a class, stressed, injured from the attacks, and extremely traumatized. Our team set about attending to the tiny baby elephant, all the while communicating with the community trying to explain things while preparing her for the journey back to the safety of the DSWT Nursery in Nairobi National Park. She had experienced unimaginable trauma that day, and was extremely lucky to still be alive, all thanks to the swift work of the Naibunga Conservancy warden called Peter. She responded to the tender loving care that she received from our team of keepers and fed well, clearly dehydrated by this time.       Our team continued to have a rough time from the local authorities and community members, eventually they had to sign an agreement because the community was claiming that the calf was county property and they had a right to know where the calf was being taken, all this was creating delays with nightfall fast approaching. Eventually things were resolved.          After the short drive from the village back to the airstrip the team, accompanied by the KWS rangers, were able to safely load the tiny calf onto the waiting rescue plane. It was a huge relief for the all, including the pilot since it was getting so late, to finally have the calf safely on board and leaving behind a very hostile community. It took the team an hour to safely arrive at Wilson airport just before 8.00pm, eventually arriving at the Nursery around 8.45pm. She was placed in a stable next to Ashaka. Keeper Mishak who was in the stable with Ashaka next door looked at the tiny calf and said she must have come from a ‘tiny seed’ as despite having all her teeth already she was by far the smallest of them all. Seed in Swahili is Mbegu. It seemed like an enchanting name for a very sweet and beautiful baby, a baby who escaped death by some miracle. Her wounds were cleaned and treated while many of the Nursery elephants sensed her arrival and began bellowing and this comforted her enormously hearing the familiar elephant sounds.       Mbegu has settled extremely well, loves the other orphans who love her too, but more than that she is hooked on her Keepers, never forgetting the love and tenderness they have shown her. Her wounds took some time to heal, but thanks to the power of the green clay all the sepsis disappeared and she has made a full recovery.       Mbegu is a perfect little treasure, incredibly playful and full on nonsense, and given her tender age has bounced back from her emotional scarring very quickly and is now totally at home in her new environment and is genuinely happy. We would like to thank all those who worked so hard to save her precious life under extremely challenging circumstances.

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