Current Age
18 years old
Gender
Female
Rescued date
18 August 2006
Rescue Location
Tsavo Ecosystem, Chyulu Hills
Date of Birth (approximate)
5 May 2006
Reason Orphaned
Poaching
Age at Rescue
3 months old (approx)
Current Location
Living Wild
Personalised adoption certificate.
Monthly email update on your orphan and the project.
Monthly watercolour by Angela Sheldrick.
Access to special content; latest Keepers' Diaries, videos and photos
On the morning of 18th December 2020 we caught our first glimpse of the latest baby to be born to one of our now wild-living orphans, when 14-year-old Chyulu proudly brought her new calf, a little bull, to meet her human family in Ithumba, Tsavo East . Flanked by many attentive nannies, themselves all ex orphans now living wild, this little one has been named Cheka, which means ‘laugh’ in Swahili. An apt name given the fanfare of joy and excitement surrounding the Ithumba stockades when we, and the dependent orphans in our care, met him for the first time.
Chyulu's second baby was special, in that he was a complete surprise! Although she has been a regular visitor to Ithumba this year, we never suspected she was pregnant. We were shocked and delighted when she appeared on 29th November 2023 with a brand new little boy in tow. Read more.
Orphans walking towards the Chyulu Hills
Chyulu watching over her sleeping calves
Chyulu, Charli and Cheka
Kiombo enjoying the green grass in Chyulu Hills
Murera in Chyulu Hills
Cheka, Charli and Chyulu
Chyulu with Cheka and Charli
Naleku following Chyulu's family