We knew that Murera’s due date was nigh. In fact, we have had a unique insight into every step of her life. Because of her compromised hip — which we explain more about below — Murera still chooses to return to her stockades each night. The two notable exceptions were her honeymoons: the one in which she found the mate that resulted in Mwana, and another in early 2025, when she spent the better part of a week courted by a massive bull.

Over the course of nearly two years, we have seen Murera get bigger, slower, and moodier. This past week, all her pregnancy quirks reached new heights. She even refused to walk to the milk feeding point, waiting for Keepers to hand-deliver bottles to her instead. As Umani Head Keeper Philip noted, she was in her own world, owing to the last stretch of her pregnancy.

The night before, Murera and Mwana retired to their room like any other. At 2am, just after a sprinkling of rain, the Keepers heard something drop, followed by a chorus of rumbles and trumpets. They leapt out of bed to investigate — and found Murera cleaning a brand-new baby elephant! The Keepers joined in, covering the baby with shovelfuls of dust so she would dry off more quickly.

All this time, Mwana was hovering behind her mother, clearly unsure what to make of the little bundle that had just been delivered in her midst. (We had long been saying that Mwana was in denial that her mother was pregnant!) As soon as Mwezi shakily got to her feet with a tiny rumble, Mwana seemed to understand what had happened, and she stepped forward to welcome her new sister.

By this point, Amali was in a frenzy — she was pushing the stockade wall, trying to break through to meet the baby herself. The Keepers opened the gate, inviting her into the party. Kerrio and Latika were content to remain in their rooms until morning.

Of course, no one could sleep after such a wonderful turn of events. The Keepers remained with Murera, Mwana, and Mwezi until dawn, when they found the rest of the nightclubbers (wild-sleeping orphans) waiting at the gate. In the mysterious, wonderful ways of elephant communication, word of Mwezi’s birth had spread throughout the Kibwezi Forest, and everyone knew to report home to meet the newest member of the Umani family.

There was stiff competition amongst the other mothers and the nannies over who would get primary custody of Mwezi. When Lima Lima, Sonje, and Zongoloni generously removed themselves from the running, it was left to the nannies. Enkesha, easygoing and conflict-averse as ever, decided the field was too crowded and also excused herself. Kiasa, Amali, and Quanza were left to share duties amongst the three of them.

It’s been really special — though not at all surprising — to see how everyone is supporting Murera and her second baby. After nearly two years of pregnancy, she needs time to rest and recuperate. The other orphans understand this and have been changing their routines to fit her needs. We find them waiting patiently by the gate in the morning, ready to walk mum and baby into the forest. Everyone knows that it is best to stay close to home, so they have been browsing just around the stockades and even having their mud bath and milk bottles there.

Mwezi was born at an auspicious time for two reasons. First, she arrived around the full moon — something we will always associate with Kirsty Van Zeller, a cherished and much-missed member of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust family who left this world beneath the light of a full moon. We feel sure Kirsty was watching Murera — an elephant she loved dearly — from the great beyond.

Murera also gave birth to Mwezi just days before the rains broke. It has been a particularly gruelling dry season, even in a lush environment like the Kibwezi Forest. We can’t help but think that Murera intuited the rains and timed her baby’s arrival accordingly.

Every baby elephant born to our orphans is a miracle — but for Murera, that miracle is amplified. We rescued her in 2012, at the peak of Kenya’s poaching crisis. She came to us broken in body and in spirit. She had trod on a poisoned spike trap, which ravaged her hind leg and left her with deep wounds. While struggling to keep up with her herd, she must have fallen and dislocated the other hip, incapacitating her entire hind area. She arrived at the Nursery with her little forehead was etched in pain, a heartbreaking reminder of the incomprehensible trauma she had endured.

Every vet recommended that Murera be euthanised. However, Daphne felt there was a sliver of hope and insisted that we fight for her life. Although she was in a dire state, the Keepers recognised Murera’s will to survive and resolved to save her. It was an uphill battle, as Peter, one of our senior Nursery Keepers, remembered, “At the beginning, it was very hard for all of us… At one point she gave up and stopped feeding, but we persisted and tried to encourage her to eat and showed her our love.”

Their persistence paid off. Murera’s pain faded as her mobility improved, beginning with a few tentative steps and working up to longer walks in the forest. However, for as much as she learned to live with her injuries, it was clear that Murera would be physically compromised for the rest of her life. That was the genesis of Umani Springs, our Reintegration Unit tailor-made for elephants like Murera and their friends. The broken elephant we rescued quickly blossomed in this special environment, becoming the universally revered and adored matriarch of the orphan herd.

Murera’s journey to motherhood began in 2021, born from another great tragedy. If you're not yet familiar with the story of Mwana’s conception and birth, please do read it here.

Now, Murera has two beautiful daughters who will walk beside her for life. We were wishing and hoping that she would give birth to another girl, forming a tight-knit unit that would remain together through the years. The powers that be have answered our prayers and brought Murera’s family to three.

Of course, Murera’s family is really so much larger. It is the Keepers who have walked by her side, day in and day out, for 14 years and counting. It is the herd who respects her, looks out for her, and adapts their very existence to follow her leadership. It is Mwana, who has brought such joy and purpose to Murera’s life, and now precious Mwezi, too. And it is you — the people around the world who have been touched by Murera’s story and stood up to support her. This is a celebration for all of us.