On 3rd August 2025, one of our pilots, Hamish, was conducting a routine anti-poaching patrol over Tsavo when he spotted a small elephant calf all alone in the bush. At approximately one year old, the little bull was terribly vulnerable and appeared to be distressed. The team observed him from the air, searching for any sign of the calf's family.   

To further confirm the situation, a second pilot, Neville, arrived. For nearly two hours, he monitored the calf's increasingly concerning situation. We aren't sure how he came to be orphaned, but his situation was dire: Without the protection and support of his herd, a calf of his age was at risk of starvation and predation. By now it was clear that he was very much on his own, so the Kenya Wildlife Service called for a rescue.

Our pilot, Taru, flew the helicopter to the remote rescue site with two Keepers onboard. En route, he sighted an adult elephant with an acute limp. After flying a number of tight circles overhead, he observed that the bull had a snare slicing into his front foot. The injury had seriously hindered his mobility, so he wouldn't travel far. We made note of his location, with a plan in place to return and treat him once the orphan was safe.

But back to the rescue: Taru dropped the team and directed them to the calf through the thick bush. While the calf was young, a one-year-old elephant is still a significant size and weight. The team had to cut a small helipad in the bush to allow for extraction. It was a tight squeeze getting him inside the helicopter, but they managed.

Because of the late hour and the unexpected emergency to treat the snared elephant, the little orphan overnighted at our Kaluku Nursery. He spent a comfortable first night with us before being flown up to the Nairobi Nursery the following morning. We named him Arthi — a twist on the Athi River, near where he was found.

From the beginning, Arthi proved himself to be a very calm and quiet boy. Nursery Head Keeper Edwin has been particularly impressed by his measured, mature demeanor. Arthi is confident and enjoys doing his own thing, but he also loves hanging out with our gentle uncle, Taroha, and the friendly Olomunyak. Little Wamata, who is of a similar age to Arthi, was initially jealous of the newcomer and tried to bully him. However, she has since come to respect him and they are slowly becoming friends.

While most of the nannies are occupied with tiny Kipekee, we do find Muridjo and Kerrio fussing over Arthi. Talek is also very soft towards him, and the two sometimes hang out together. It's clear that this independent young bull has found his place in our Nursery family.

As for the snared bull spotted during Arthi's rescue? Our teams returned and successfully treated him with the SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit. While his injury was severe, Dr Limo is confident that he will make a full recovery. 

It was a day when aerial surveillance and quick action saved two elephant lives — a powerful reminder of why this work matters so much.