Our story with Ishanga began in November 2010. She was discovered by our SWT/KWS Ziwani Anti-Poaching Team, alone and terribly vulnerable. This was a dark time for elephants, and we can surmise that she lost her mother to poachers. She was living on borrowed time — young elephants need their mothers not only for milk, but also for protection — as we were soon reminded in a harrowing turn of events.

As the team moved in to rescue Ishanga, a lion leapt out of the undergrowth and grabbed her by the neck. With their own lives in danger, everyone reacted quickly and a KWS ranger managed to fire shots into the air. In the fracas, the lion released its prey.

Now the team faced the dual task of rescuing an orphaned elephant — no small undertaking in itself — while keeping a circling pride of lions at bay. Ishanga’s neck was bleeding from bite marks, and she was paralysed by fear. Working efficiently despite how shaken they were, the team loaded her into their Land Rover and drove to Maktau Airstrip. As soon as the rescue plane landed, our Keepers secured her for the flight to Nairobi.

Ishanga’s first hours at the Nursery were fraught. Wild-eyed and terrified, she would not let anyone close. Our Keepers patiently stood by throughout the night, waiting for her to settle. Eventually, hunger trumped fear, and she accepted both milk and water from a bottle in the early morning hours.

As is so often the case with starvation victims, Ishanga soon collapsed in a shivering state. The familiar feeling of dread crept over us as we wondered if all she had endured would prove too much to overcome. But after two hours on an intravenous drip, she struggled back to her feet. She had survived another major hurdle, though her situation remained precarious. We knew we needed to help her find the all-important will to live.

That afternoon, we brought the other orphans to Ishanga’s stockade. The effect was transformative. Despite being so weak, she immediately perked up and wanted to follow them. We let her outside, and slowly she trailed the herd into the forest. The other orphans seemed to intuit her fragility and did not venture far.

That excursion did the trick. The next day, Ishanga tagged along as if she had always been part of the herd and even joined the midday mud bath. Lion wounds are particularly prone to infection and require regular cleaning, but she trustingly allowed the Keepers to treat her neck each day.

Ishanga soon became one of the greediest babies at the Nursery. She quickly mastered the milk routine and made it her mission to be first to every feeding, determinedly climbing into the wheelbarrow carrying the bottles. The lion bites faded and her physical condition improved, though the psychological wounds took longer to heal. For a long time, she grappled with regular nightmares, haunted by all she had endured.

With time, her trauma subsided and Ishanga blossomed into a happy, confident young elephant. After two years at the Nursery, she graduated to our Ithumba Reintegration Unit and from there springboarded into her wild life.

Ishanga has since been a wonderful nanny to her friends’ babies, learning the ropes from experienced mothers like Nasalot, Loijuk, Lenana, and Mulika. With each progressive visit home last year, her belly grew increasingly round, and we knew she was marching ever closer to motherhood herself.

Ishanga could not have chosen a better time to give birth. Last season’s rains were very disappointing, and we were bracing for a difficult period ahead. But wholly unexpectedly, the heavens opened over northern Tsavo two days ago, bringing several good storms. We’re hoping more will follow, cooling temperatures and leaving plenty of food and water for wildlife. Without these unexpected rains, it would have been a fraught few months. We are optimistic that Little Imp has been born into an unseasonably forgiving environment.

It had been nearly a month since Ishanga’s last visit. A week ago, we were inundated with elephants, but the rains have sent most elephants away, venturing further afield to enjoy the bounty of fresh greenery. Thus, Head Keeper Benjamin was wholly surprised when Ishanga strode up to the stockades this morning — and all the more so when he realised she had a newborn in tow! She had clearly remained in the area, knowing that she was imminently going to give birth. As so many orphans have done before her, Ishanga then returned home to share her joy with the human family who raised her.

The pair spent most of the day at the stockades, with little Imp nursing and then napping at her mother’s feet. It was a beautiful, peaceful scene.

Every orphan comes from fraught beginnings, but Ishanga survived the insurmountable. The loss of her mother, a terrifying lion attack, and the deep trauma that followed would be too much for many babies. But Ishanga is a brave elephant who has blossomed into a kind, clear-headed adult. Now, she goes through life with her daughter by her side.