In May 2016, an injured bull limped up to a waterhole near Ithumba. He had a cable snare around his foot, cutting through to the bone and leaving him in visible agony. He needed urgent veterinary intervention before he disappeared — possibly forever — into the vast wilderness that is Northern Tsavo.

In partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service, we deployed Sky Vets, our aerial veterinary initiative, to the scene. Despite the severity of the injury, the treatment was a success: The snare was removed, the wound treated, and Lazarus continued on his way. Watch the original treatment (May 2016).

It can be nigh impossible to provide regular, public updates on every patient’s progress. Our aerial and ground teams form a highly effective surveillance network, and through their daily patrols, they manage to keep tabs on many patients in challenging environments. However, we are working in big, wild landscapes, and elephants can be surprisingly elusive creatures. Often, no news is good news.

But Lazarus made himself very available for monitoring. In the wake of his treatment, he remained a fixture around Ithumba, passing by the stockades or lingering by the waterhole. His limp disappeared in a matter of weeks; within a few months, the wound had completely healed.

Lazarus is an entirely wild elephant, and while he was fully sedated for treatment, the events that led up to it would have registered clearly. Despite this, he seemed to understand that we were there to help him. He came to see Ithumba as a safe place for elephants, as he has remained a regular visitor over the years. Ithumba Head Keeper Benjamin, seen here, recognises him instantly.

Earlier this week, Lazarus showed up at the Ithumba waterhole, exactly like he did ten years ago. This time, however, he emerged from the bush standing strong on all four feet. For the veterinarians, rangers, pilots, and Keepers who devote so much of themselves to saving elephants, these visits are the greatest testament to a job well done.