Our fixed-wing pilot flew to the scene to assess the situation. He found a young bull — about seven or eight years old — with a serious wound to his front ankle joint. He cut a lonely figure, trying his best to hobble along but only managing a few painful steps. The injury alone was dire, and at his age, he was also highly vulnerable to predators — and this part of Tsavo is lion country. Without intervention, his chances of survival were slim.  

He needed help — and fast. The SWT helicopter flew the SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit to the scene, and Dr. Limo darted the bull from the air. As soon as he succumbed to the anaesthetic, the team moved in to operate. 

The initial plan was to treat him in the field and let him heal naturally. But as the operation unfolded, it became increasingly clear that this elephant was on a razor-thin line between life and death. The spear wound was terribly infected, compromising the joint — and a joint injury is serious, especially on a front limb. He was unable to bear any weight on the injured leg, which left him nearly immobile. By that point, three litres of liquid had accumulated in the joint. 

A single treatment would not be sufficient. If the bull was to have any hope of survival, multiple follow-ups would be required — and that level of care would be impossible to manage in the wild. And of course, this sector of Tsavo is home to formidable prides of lions, who would be ready to pounce on a physically compromised elephant of his size. His mobility was so severely hampered that he would be unable to browse and feed himself. 

And so, the plan changed. To preserve the young bull’s life and give him the continued care he needed, Dr. Limo deemed it necessary to bring him to our Voi Reintegration Unit. While he was certainly older than a typical orphan rescue, he very much fell into the adolescent age bracket and would be in good company among our Voi orphan herd. 

We named the bull Chapeyu, after a peak in the Yatta Plateau opposite where he was found.

While the Voi team mobilized to the scene, others got to work keeping Chapeyu cool and comfortable. They assembled a bush shelter to shade him from the sun, while others ferried water from the river — a good half-mile away — and poured it on him to regulate his body temperature. Chapeyu was anaesthetised throughout, unaware of the monumental efforts underway to save his life.

Two hours later, the trailer arrived, and Chapeyu was hoisted onboard. It was a long, slow journey back to Voi, navigating bumpy park roads as the sun sank on the horizon. KWS veterinarians Dr. Limo and Dr. Lawi remained with Chapeyu throughout, closely monitoring his vitals.

That evening, the trailer and its precious cargo reached Voi. Chapeyu was unloaded into a large stockade and revived. He unsteadily got to his feet and took a good look at his new surroundings. While uncertain, he didn’t panic. As he tucked into the greens that had been brought in for him, we gave him space to settle. 

Despite a guarded prognosis from the veterinarians, Chapeyu began to recover — slowly but surely — over the following days, weeks, and months. Dr. Limo, who is based in Voi, continues to visit him regularly and is pleased with his progress. Chapeyu has undergone two follow-up treatments to clean the wound and administer essential medication. Although he still walks with a pronounced limp, his has improved significantly, and the vets are now confident that his grueling saga will end in a positive outcome. 

Importantly, Chapeyu has had a safe place to heal. He was initially wary of the Keepers, facing them with flared ears and eyes full of suspicion. Given that his injury was inflicted by human hands, we can understand why.

But now, Chapeyu understands that we are here to help him and even tolerates them entering his stockade to clean it. The orphans have helped enormously in this regard, stopping by his gate every morning and evening to say hello with an extended trunk, and then surrounding him in adjacent stockades throughout the night. Epiya and Juni, who sleep in the neighboring stockade, have been particularly good company.  

Chapeyu was likely speared in a human-wildlife conflict incident. He experienced the worst of humanity, but we were in a position to balance the scales and save his life. It has been a Herculean commitment over the past months, but he is moving in the right direction and is accepting of our help. 

This brave young bull will have a home with us for as long as he needs it, until he is fully healed and ready to reclaim his place back in the wild.