When friends way up in Samburu called us about a mum and baby elephant trapped in mud, we knew we had to help. We have unique expertise in this kind of rescue operation — last year alone, our Aerial Unit helped extract 17 elephants from similar predicaments.
Roan loaded up the Cessna 185 with our custom elephant straps and flew two hours north to Samburu. This was the scene that greeted him: an adult and calf, stuck fast in quicksand-like, drying mud.
Working with personnel from Ol Malo, Loisaba Conservancy, and the Kenya Wildlife Service, we managed to dig the straps around the elephants — first, the calf, who was easier to haul out, and then the adult, who proved a much greater challenge. Mission complete, both elephants slowly got their bearings and walked off.
It’s the height of the dry season, and times are difficult across the country. When Kenya’s elephants need us, wherever they may be, we will do whatever we can to answer the call.