Makireti’s story with us began in 2010. During a routine patrol of a farming area bordering Tsavo West, a community game scout spotted an emaciated elephant calf. At just a year old, she was far too young to be on her own. There were no other elephants in the area, and based on her skeletal condition, she had been alone for a very long time. The reason she was orphaned remains a mystery, but we suspect either poaching or human-wildlife conflict.

Fortunately, the orphan was found by sympathetic humans who made it their mission to ensure she got the help she needed. At their request, we named her Makireti, which means ‘one left in the wilderness,’ in the local Taita tribal dialect. She arrived at the Nursery full of fight — the Keepers had to patiently coax her into accepting a bottle of milk — but by the following day, the lonely little calf had fully embraced her new family, relieved to finally have company and sustenance.

In August 2012, Makireti graduated to our Ithumba Reintegration Unit. On the morning of her arrival, a group of impressive tuskers happened to be drinking from the stockade water trough. She was so alarmed by this supersized ‘welcoming committee’ that she let out a shocked trumpet and skedaddled over to her Keepers. Makireti was quite young when she was rescued and clearly didn’t remember that elephants could grow that big!

Makireti’s rewilding journey unfolded over the following years. She emerged as a trusted nanny to her older friends’ babies, particularly Galana and Nasalot’s kids. With her loyal, patient, and calm personality — yet zero tolerance for nonsense — we knew that she would be an excellent mother when the time came.

In early 2023, we knew that that moment was in the works. Makireti was in season, and Ithumba’s wild bulls certainly took notice. Even ex-orphan Challa tried his luck! At 18 years old, he was still a bit too young to be the chosen partner, but that didn’t stop him from courting her. For several weeks, Makireti was pursued by amorous bulls, all vying for their chance. We don’t know the identity of the lucky bull, but she certainly had no shortage of suitors.

22 months later, we finally met the result of her union. Late in the afternoon of 2nd May 2025, Makireti, Kilabasi, Kofi, Tusuja, and Neshashi arrived at the stockade compound. This was clearly no ordinary visit: The group had returned to announce that Makireti had become a mother. She had given birth to a little boy just hours earlier.

Makireti’s boy is absolutely perfect: confident, curious, and round-cheeked — everything a baby elephant should be. We named him Makimaki, after a planet in our solar system. It felt like a fitting name for the newest tiny planet in our elephant galaxy.

Motherhood is a completely new adventure for Makireti, but she has been preparing for this moment for years. She shows no signs of anxiety or uncertainty and looks after her son in her signature measured manner.

Little Neshashi has been given the responsibility of being Makimaki’s sole nanny — an enormous thrill for the baby-obsessed girl. She has long been hoping for such an opportunity, and we wonder if Makireti remembers how she too used to yearn for nannying duties.

We are only a few months into 2025, but already it stands out as a year to remember. Makimaki is the fourth Ithumba grandbaby we've met in the span of three days, following Yatta's new daughter, Yara; Lualeni’s latest addition, Luki; and Sunyei’s baby girl, Subiri. And there are still more babies to come: Kilabasi, Naserian, Wendi, Nasalot, Suguta, and Mutara are all pregnant — and there may yet be more who surprise us!