We first got wind of another grandbaby during the epic kidnapping that unfolded after Nsimba’s debut. Heady with baby fever, Mbegu and the other ex-orphans made off with half of our dependent herd.

After an extensive search, we finally located the youngest truants. As we escorted them back to the stockades, we stumbled upon Mweya and her ex-orphan herd — who we had not seen since March. We thought we saw a baby in their midst, but we couldn’t stop to investigate, as we had to get our orphans home.

Four days later, on 17th November, we finally got to meet our mystery grandbaby. At dawn, Mweya arrived with her daughters Mwitu and Mwangaza, along with ex-orphans Mbirikani, Arruba, Suswa, Ndii, Pika Pika, Mudanda, Tagwa, Murit, and Tamiyoi. And there was a very special addition to their group — a perfect baby boy, born to Mbirikani! We named him Mica, after a shimmering mineral found in Tsavo.

Mbirikani stands out as one of our most dramatic recovery stories. She was rescued at the height of the poaching crisis — a dark time when one elephant was killed every 15 minutes for its ivory. She predates Mwashoti as our original snare survivor, overcoming an equally gruesome injury.

In June 2013, Big Life reported a three-year-old calf in the Chyulu Hills with a terrible snare injury. The SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit rushed to the scene — and a grim scene it was. The calf was alone, struggling to walk, and in visible distress. The cable snare was slicing inches deep into her front right leg, making every step impossibly painful. Based on the advanced injury, she had been suffering for a long time. The team cut away the snare and then went about treating the cruel wound encircling her foot.

However, it was obvious that she would not recover without ongoing support. Her wound would require consistent cleaning and treatment, and a lone, compromised calf of her age was highly vulnerable to predators. The decision was made to transport her to our Voi Reintegration Unit, where she could receive round-the-clock care. The Tsavo Vet Unit, which is headquartered next door, would be able to consistently monitor her condition.

And so began the arduous, eight-hour journey by road to our Voi stockades. Mbirikani was remarkably calm and trusting from the outset, as if she understood that she was being helped. In fact, this open-heartedness has become a trademark of her personality.

Mbirikani’s recovery was slow but miraculous. Besides some scar tissue, you would never guess that she had been saddled with such a horrendous snare injury. She really bonded with her Keepers, who supported her day and night during the long, difficult months of healing. Even now that she is grown and living wild, those bonds are just as strong. Many elephants rescued at an older age remain understandably aloof, but Mbirikani embraced her human-orphan family with her entire heart.

Today, Mbirikani is part of Mweya’s ex-orphan herd. Although they are leading fully wild lives, the group has, to date, checked in with their Voi family at least once or twice a year. When we last saw Mbirikani in March of this year, we noted that she was heavily pregnant — so Mica’s arrival is not a surprise, but a wonderful development in what is shaping up to be a wonderful month.

​​Mbirikani, Mica, and the rest of Mweya’s herd have taken up residence around Voi, as they often do at this time of year. Mudanda seems to be Mica’s top nanny, while Mweya’s eldest daughter, six-year-old Mwitu, is an excellent deputy. We look forward to their morning visits — as do the dependent orphans, who relish every second in the orbit of tiny Mica!

The festive season has well and truly arrived in Voi — and there is so much to celebrate.