As the Ithumba orphans gathered for morning lucerne outside the stockades, Makireti, Kilabasi, and her son, Kofi appeared from the east. This was clearly no ordinary visit: Sandwiched between Makireti and Kilabasi was an hours-old baby. Kilabasi had given birth in the night and thought it wise to come and introduce her to her human family.

It is little surprise that Makireti is Kanika’s main nanny. She has been a long-time friend of Kilabasi — the pair were rescued a year apart, grew up side by side, and now are leading their wild lives together. We are happy to see Makireti with a baby in her midst again, after the sudden and mysterious loss of her own son back in June.

Our resident baby-obsessives, Suguroi and Naleku, couldn’t believe their luck to have a newborn on their doorstep. They jostled around Kanika, reaching out their trunks to inspect her. However, Kofi soon went into protective big brother mode and blocked the girls’ access. Suguroi and Naleku slunk away, hoping to catch Kofi off guard later.

Kilabasi timed this birth perfectly: After a long and difficult dry season, the clouds are gathering and rain is on the horizon. Little Kanika’s first months will be spent in an emerald green Tsavo, surrounded by nature’s bounty. They will likely travel far and wide during this time, which makes it all the more special that Kilabasi chose to return home right after giving birth so we could share in the beginning of her latest chapter.

We have been part of Kilabasi’s story for 14 years and counting. In July 2011, a small calf staggered into Chala Village from the Tanzania side. She was bruised, dehydrated, weak, and far too young to be on her own. We will never know what this baby endured before her lonely trek towards Kenya, but it was a dark time for elephants: Poaching had reached catastrophic levels, with one elephant killed every 15 minutes for its ivory. It would be safe to surmise that Kilabasi lost her mother to poachers.

Kilabasi’s early days at the Nursery were a struggle. She was very unsettled and prone to wandering off, as is typical of orphans who have suffered emotional trauma. However, time healed her grief, and Kilabasi blossomed into a confident, no-nonsense elephant.

Her growth was on full display when she graduated to our Ithumba Reintegration Unit in January 2013: While her travelling partner, Kanjoro, was a ball of nerves, Kilabasi was nonchalant throughout the entire journey. She confidently emerged from the moving truck and strode into her new home without a backwards glance. Her breezy debut in Tsavo was strikingly different from her fraught arrival at the Nursery two years prior.

Although Kilabasi has been living wild for many years now, she remains a regular visitor around Ithumba. We witnessed her first pregnancy progress month by month — in fact, she held the Keepers in suspense, as they thought she couldn’t possibly get any bigger! But finally, on 3rd January 2022, she gave birth to a beautiful little boy, who we named Kofi.

Now, Kilabasi will walk through life with not one, but two babies by her side. She was rescued at a time when the future of elephants was looking bleak. However, much can change over the course of a decade — and the wild-born ‘grandchildren’ of our Orphans’ Project are living proof of the progress that has been made. We are delighted to witness the beginning of Kilabasi’s newest chapter.