We have been joking that Zongoloni has endured the world’s longest pregnancy. There is always some guesswork involved when it comes to predicting an ex-orphan’s due date, as we rarely know exactly when conception occurred. However, when it became clear that Lima Lima, Sonje, and Zongoloni were all pregnant, we predicted that Zongoloni would give birth first. She is big-bodied by nature, but her belly soon eclipsed the other girls’.

But she continued to keep us in suspense a while longer! Lima Lima gave birth in early December, followed by Sonje on Christmas Day — and still, Zongoloni kept us waiting. In recent weeks, she had grown bigger, slower, and noticeably moodier, all to be expected in the final stages of pregnancy. She stopped allowing Lenny and Sulwe to suckle and kept to herself, permitting only Mwashoti to accompany her. This was an unusual choice, as the pair had never been especially close, but in the final stages of her pregnancy, Zongoloni seemed to appreciate his company. We believe she remembered how diligently Mwashoti looked after Murera when she was expecting Mwana.

As the sun rose on 24th April 2025, Zongoloni lumbered up to the stockades. The Keepers noticed signs of labour and knew immediately that this was the day we had all been waiting for.

Zongoloni and the other semi-wild orphans link up with the dependent herd most mornings — but we were intrigued to see that on this day she had brought her old friends, Ziwa and Faraja, with her. Ziwa is an irregular visitor and we hadn’t seen Faraja since January. It was clear that Zongoloni gathered her old friends to share in this special moment.

After exchanging morning greetings, Zongolini moved a bit deeper into the forest. Given that Ziwa and Faraja had brought some wild friends along, the Keepers chose to keep their distance. Around nine o’clock, they heard a yell, accompanied by rumbles and trumpets, and understood that their newest grandchild had arrived. Zongoloni’s labour was over before we knew it — and after 22 months in the womb, her perfect baby boy made his debut in the world. We named him Zigi.

The Keepers moved in to share the moment, while the wild elephants moved away. They were warmly welcomed into the heart of the action. Little Zigi wobbled around, coming to grips with his legs amidst a tangle of loving trunk touches.

Zigi has been born into a veritable crèche. Babies Lenny and Sulwe are just four months older than him, and we predict the three will grow up as close as siblings. Between Quanza, Enkesha, Kiasa, Amali, and even little Mwana — the original Umani grandbaby — he will benefit from a host of nurturing nannies, as well as the wisdom of matriarchs Murera, Sonje, and Lima Lima.

And of course, he has a formidable elephant for a mother. Rescued in 2013, Zongoloni stands out as one of our most heartbreaking cases. She is an orphan of the poaching epidemic that swept across Africa in the early 2000s. Her mother was shot by poachers and then left to an unconscionable, drawn-out demise. Zongoloni was only a year and a half old at the time, but she stayed by her side throughout. Despite her own compromised condition — she had clearly been without food or water for days — she remained fiercely protective of her mother until the very end.

Dr Poghon, the KWS veterinarian who led our Tsavo Vet Unit at the time, made the difficult but humane decision to end the suffering of Zongoloni’s mother. The little calf — now an orphan through no fault of her own — was flown to our Nairobi Nursery. It was a fraught flight during which she nearly slipped away herself, kept alive only by IV drips.

We placed Zongoloni in a stockade neighbouring Faraja and Jasiri — two bulls who remain by her side to this day. Given that she had witnessed the very worst of mankind, she was understandably aggressive and frightened. It took nearly two weeks for her to trust us enough to drink from a bottle, and even longer before she realised that we represented the good side of humanity.

In 2014, Zongoloni helped establish our new Umani Springs Reintegration Unit, alongside Murera, Sonje, Lima Lima, and Quanza. Their leadership has been integral to the success of the unit — and Zongoloni has played a particularly pivotal role. She is the original ‘nightclubber,’ the shepherd who helped our first class of Umani orphans find their place in the wild.

It all started in late 2019. Ziwa, Faraja, and Ngasha clearly wanted to explore their independence and spend nights outside the stockades — but once they were out in the forest, they didn’t quite know what to do with themselves. Zongoloni realised the boys needed some direction and a decisive leader, so she took control of the situation. She stepped up as matriarch of the ‘nightclubbers,’ confidently leading her band of bulls into the forest and keeping watch over them throughout the night. Her no-nonsense leadership helped the boys find their independence — not to mention all the orphans who have followed in their footsteps over the years.

And now, Zongoloni’s leadership takes on a new dimension. She has always been a keen nanny — sometimes too keen: She is notorious for her attempts to kidnap new rescues, and we have even watched her stealthily try to make off with her friends’ babies! But now, she has a son of her own to raise. We can think of no better mother to shepherd little Zigi through life.