Keepers' Diaries, February 2009
Nairobi Nursery Unit
The month of February will surely count as probably the most stressful for us yet, with a plethora of elephant rescues, each coming hot on the heels of the previous one, the loss of many newcomers, and the deep sadness of having to euthenaze little Ziwani, who had put up such a very brave struggle for life. The spear wounds she sustained at the hands of brutal Masai tribesmen illegally grazing their cattle in Southern Tsavo West National Park, had apparently punctured her stomach wall, resulting in peritonitis. She finally gave up the battle to live and collapsed on the l0th, and following the advice of the Vet, she was put to sleep forever after the pronouncement that there was no hope of recovery. Ending her suffering was the last ultimate kindness we could do for her, at the same time feeling anger and hatred for those that had caused so much agony. There are times when one is ashamed of being “human” if one can attribute that term to her brutal killers. It transpired that again on the 20th February Masai tribesmen again speared another baby elephant near the same canal on Ziwani Sisal Estate where Ziwani was mutilated, and previously had speared an adult cow elephant and her calf near the up-market Finchatten’s tourist camp in Tsavo West. Whereas Somali poachers face being shot on sight in a National Park, it appears that Masai poachers, illegally in such Protected Areas, can do so with impunity and get away scott free! Surely this is very wrong!
01 February 2009
Mawenzi has been in the Nursery now for 4 days, and has been diligently taken under the care of Kenia, who is a very responsible and caring little elephant. However, at mudbath she lost her nerve, and ran off into the bush, hotly pursued by the Keepers and Kenia. Again, when the evening foster-parent visitors arrived, she again fled, and had to be rounded up by the Keepers.
02 February 2009
Today, again Mawenzi lost her nerve at the mudbath, although having taken her milk, she did get in briefly before dashing out. When she was returned by the Keepers, she cried loudly, which made Lempaute respond by running through the crowd to console Mawenzi.
03 February 2009
Today, the Nursery received a new baby elephant from Namunyak Conservancy called Sabachi, who was in good condition. He was put into Kibo’s stable for the night, but was very restless and could not sleep.
04 February 2009
Sabachi occupied the attention of Mawenzi, who previously had been attached to Kenia and Dida. The Keepers had a difficult time to try and prevent Mawenzi and Sabachi walking away on their own. Having not slept during the night, Sabachi was very weary, and kept lying down to sleep out in the bush, Mawenzi keeping guard over him. In the end the Keepers decided to cover the two with a red blanket so that they stood out easily whenever they wanted to be on their own, away from the other orphans.
05 February 2009
At the mudbath, Sabachi started taking his milk, but was distracted when Mawenzi walked off. He followed her, leaving his milk. The Keepers brought the two back again, but Mawenzi was restless, but went into the mudbath trying to splash water onto the skin on her back, which was injured by falling in the well, and is very itchy now that it is healing.
06 February 2009
Today, a phone call from Amboseli alerted us to yet another orphaned elephant calf was awaiting collection at the Park airstrip, having been extracted from a well the night before. He was a tiny boy of about 2 weeks, and we named him “Kibo”. Today wounded Ziwani’s condition is worsening. Her back leg is much more swollen, and she can barely walk now, nor did she feed well. Having been taken out for a short walk, the new baby boy joined Ziwani to keep her company.
07 February 2009
Today Suguta was brought from Kenia’s group to join Ziwani and Kibo. Suguta was very gentle and consoled little Kibo, showing him how to pretend to suckle against the blanket. Ziwani was in great pain and paid no attention to the other two orphans with her.
08 February 2009
Lesanju is very interested in little Sabachi. Every time her Senior group meets the Juniors, she goes straight up to him and rests her trunk lovingly across his back, which usually makes him bellow! However, Sinya loves Lesanju more than any of the small babies, and pushes the small ones away jealously whenever they come close to Lesanju. While the Keepers were taking lunch Sabachi came to suckle Lesanju’s ears, which did not please Sinya, who pushed him away.
09 February 2009
Ziwani's situation is worsening, despite all our efforts. She could hardly move today, and even had difficulty lying down. When she saw the Keepers come to clean her wounds, she immediately lay down herself. Most of the wounds look as though they are healing, apart from the ones on the back-bone and at the hip joint, which seems to have paralyzed one back leg.
10 February 2009
Ziwani collapsed today. The Vet came and said that the spear wound on her side had obviously punctured the stomach wall. Her body was very cold, and because the Vet thought there was no chance of recovery, she was euthenazed and buried in the forest.
11 February 2009
It was a very hot day today, so the Keepers made a little mudbath for the tiny rhino baby, Maalim. They then poured some water on his back to cool him down, and he immediately began to wallow joyfully, rolling around in the mud, just like a large rhino! They then dried him off by taking him to the loose soil and pouring it over his back. The problem arose when it was time to leave! He flatly refused, having had such a good time, and as the visitors would not leave the mudbath until he had gone, the Keepers had to physically lift him and take him away!
12 February 2009
With Ziwani no longer with us, Siria was moved back into his old Stockade, which made him very happy, mainly because Wasessa gives him a hard time at milk feeds, very selfish about allowing him access to the Keeper.
13 February 2009
Another phone call alerted us to a lone calf having been spotted at the Namunyak Conservancy. He arrived in the Nursery in the afternoon, one back leg obviously painful having been tied very tightly after being captured by Conservancy staff.
14 February 2009
Today a Rescue Team was again mobilized to collect a calf from the Masai Mara, who arrived in the Nursery at 7.30 p.m. He was emaciated, obviously having been without his mother for some time. One right leg was mis-shapen, indicating that he might have suffered a fracture earlier in life. Siria was taken again to Wasessa’s Stockade, and the newcomer, called “Muti” went into Siria’s stockade.
15 February 2009
For the third consecutive day a new orphan arrived, this time a newborn female from the Milgis area of Laikipia, who was flown into Nairobi in Helen Dufresne’s private plane. We collected her from Wilson Airport. She was newborn with very soft skin, and pink ears, and the umbilical cord was still attached, but dry. She was named Milgis, and plans were made to try and save her life by taking blood from one of the older elephants, and injecting plasma into her ear vein.
16 February 2009
Baby Milgis met little Kibo, and they interacted in a friendly manner. Meanwhile Muti, who had been confined to his Stockade up until now, was allowed out and joined Milgis, Suguta and Kibo. He seemed disinterested and kept wanting to walk into the bush alone, not interested in the company of the Keeper either, so he was taken to join the others in Kenia’s group. Immediately Mawenzi and Sabachi came to comfort him.
17 February 2009
This was a training day for the 4 elephants due to be moved to Voi to make more space in the Nursery. All went into the trucks without opposition, but at the 3 p.m. feed Mzima and Wasessa showed signs of suspicion, and were reluctant to go in.
18 February 2009
Unlike previous days, the elephants to be moved did not want to go into the truck. Only Shimba obliged. At the next milk feed Siria joined Shimba in going in, but Mzima and Wasessa refused. However, Lesanju, Lempaute and Sinya had no problem going into the truck, although they were not the ones due to go down. It was as though the elephants could read our thoughts!
19 February 2009
Today Loimugi is not in good shape, and supported by a drip. Ever since arriving he has had serious diarrheoa which none of the drugs seemed able to cure and during the night of the l9th he died. Then in the evening little Milgis began to breathe heavily and had difficulty in walking. During the mudbath Suguta and Kimana had an altercation over one of the Keepers whom both elephants wanted to feed them. The other Keepers had to intervene to restore order.
20 February 2009
It was a very sad day for the Keepers and everyone in the Nursery, with Loimugi dead in one stable, and next door baby Milgis on a drip fighting for her life.
21 February 2009
Today, our 4 oldest Nursery elephants left the Nursery and embarked on their journey to Voi, leaving at 5.30 a.m. in the morning. Wasessa was the first to be loaded, and protested loudly, which made the remaining 3 due to leave extremely suspicious. Wasessa will miss Lesanju, Lempaute and Sinya to whom she was very close, while Kimana will miss Siria, who was his best friend. In the afternoon, Muti suddenly collapsed and died unexpectedly several hours later, despite being put on a drip. Milgis is still fighting for her life on a drip. The Vet came to take blood from Sinya so that Milgis could have the plasma, hoping that this might save her life.
22 February 2009
Lesanju, Lempaute and Sinya are missing the 4 that left the Nursery yesterday. When the Junior group came to the mudbath, and the Seniors were left with their Keepers in the forest, they could not settle down, and kept wanting to go to the mudbath to see if the 4 missing orphans were there. Milgis was still alive, but it takes 24 hours to separate the plasma from Sinya’s blood. We had to shuffle the elephants around again. Suguta was placed in Loimugi’s stable while Sabachi and Mawenzi were left in their usual stables. During the night the elephants that had been moved to new places for the night screamed all night, which caused the older orphans to also have a sleepless night, confused as to what was going on since the departure of the four.
23 February 2009
The tension still prevails amongst the three Big Girls. They are very fearful when the smaller elephants leave to go first to the mudbath, when the older elephants pester their Keepers, wanting them to take them as well, fearful that the little elephants might also disappear. During the night Suguta and Sabachi, who had been separated, were still very noisy. By 8 p.m. the Keepers were forced to move Suguta back into Sabachi’s stable which is next to Mawenzi, who is also a good friend to the two.
24 February 2009
Another rescue alert, this time from Maralal, saying that Rangers had tracked the spoor of a lone baby elephant for some kms. and eventually found him near the Kirisia forest. By the time the plane arrived to collect him, he had collapsed, having been without his mother for a long time. He was immediately put on a drip and revived a little during the flight, but he is very emaciated. In the Nursery, he was able to walk a little, and was put in the stable next to Kibo. He was named Kirisia, after the forest of that name.
25 February 2009
Early in the morning, Kirisia and Kibo were communicating through the separating bars of their respective stables. They were then allowed to be together, and interacted happily, until Kibo became jealous because Kirisia was very close to the Keepers. Kibo pushed him away.
26 February 2009
There was yet another rescue alert this morning, this time involving a 1 month old baby bull from teh Masai Mara, who was heard bellowing the previous night, and was found all alone in the morning by a Masai Elder not far from the town of Kilgoris. Keya Wildlife Service personnel were alerted who managed to capture him, and drove him to Kitchwa Tembo airfield to await the arrival of the rescue plane. He cam into the Nursery in the late afternoon in an advanced state of emaciation and very week but took milk and rehydrants eagerly. we named him Soit. Lesanju, Lempaute and Sinya are still very concerned about the absence of Shimba, Mzima, Siria and Wasessa, and whenever separated from the babies, run up and down anxiously looking for them, fearful that they might have been spirited away as well. For that reason, we have decided to allow the babies to remain with the older elephants throughout the day, coming to the mudbath as one group instead of two. This has displaced Kenia who looked upon herself as the Mini Matriarch of the younger group, especially taking care of Mawenzi and Ndii. Now that the older girls are present, she has been over-shadowed in this role.
27 February 2009
Yet another very sad day in the Nursery, for little Kirisia died during the night, having only been with us a few days. It is very stressful not knowing the real cause of the deaths of so many of our new arrivals.
28 February 2009
The older orphans are very attentive to the smaller babies. Lesanju has chosen Sabachi as her special baby, while Lempaute has Mawenzi. Only Sinya remains un-decided about who to choose, being very attached to Lesanju. Sabachi is very comfortable with Lesanju, but Mawenzi keeps on trying to walk away from Lempaute, who follows her wherever she goes!