Daba’s story with us began on the morning of 30th September 2025. The SWT/KWS Canine Unit was on a training exercise at Galana Ranch when they spotted a small elephant calf wandering alone. The team tracked the calf for several hours, hoping he might reunite with his family. As time wore on, however, the situation became increasingly desperate: there were no other elephants in the area, and he was far too young to be on his own. A calf of his age would not survive long without his mother’s milk or the protection of his herd.

The Canine Unit requested backup from our nearby Lali Field Headquarters. While rangers monitored the calf, a second search team continued looking for his lost mother and herd. They too were unable to locate any elephants in the vicinity.

It was a mystery. The calf had no visible injuries or signs of illness, aside from a general poor body condition suggesting he had been on his own for some time. We have a suspicion: the water points in the area are heavily trafficked by wildlife during the dry season. Lions, aware of the bounty of prey passing through, often station themselves nearby. It is common to hear elephants trumpeting, lions roaring, and game stampeding at night. We suspect that he became separated from his herd during one such commotion.  

With confirmation that he was very much alone, KWS greenlit a rescue. The team kept the calf calm while heavy machinery was brought over from Lali HQ. He was gently lifted into the bucket of a backhoe, which then placed him on a trailer that was driven by tractor to headquarters. From there, the little orphan was brought to our nearby Voi Reintegration Unit.

We suspect that he was one of the calves from the large Dabaduki herd, which frequent the watering points near Lali. Dabaduki in Somali means “tail” or “behind”, so he was named Daba — left behind.

Little Daba spent time at Voi, but his condition wasn’t improving. In mid-October, the decision was made to bring him up to our Nairobi Nursery, where we could ensure a gentler environment and specialist care.

Because of his time at Voi, Daba arrived at the Nursery acclimatised to his new life. It was not long before he was ready to join the rest of the herd out in the forest. We gathered Kerrio, Nyambeni, and Mzinga to shepherd the new boy out from the stockades. Wamata and Arthi were a bit disgruntled to meet yet another newbie who threatened to dethrone their “spoiled baby” status, but everyone else was very welcoming.

Daba’s Keepers describe him as a calm and composed boy. He gets frightened easily and does not like anyone approaching from behind. Muridjo, the new mini matriarch of the Nursery herd, has taken him under her wing and is always looking out for him. When he is not with Muridjo, Daba can be found with Arthi or Alia.

Although he is quite shy, Daba has a few funny tricks up his sleeve. For instance, he has mapped out the times and locations of all the milk feeds and is constantly scheming to get there early. One memorable morning, he snuck away from the herd and ambled towards the stockades, hoping to circumvent the milk wheelbarrow on its way out. When that plan was foiled, he made a beeline for the mud bath. Finding neither milk bottles nor Keepers to feed him, he began trumpeting in protest.

Daba’s cutest, cheekiest trick unfolds at night. Although he is fed every three hours, day and night, he becomes quite impatient. When he hears milk being prepared outside, he stretches his trunk up to his Keeper’s bunk bed and snatches the blanket right off the sleeping man. If this is not effective, he moves on to Plan B. Somehow — a skill most elephants of his age have not yet mastered — he balances on his hind legs and plonks his front legs on the edge of the bed, waking his Keeper with a trunk kiss.

Daba has already been through a lot in his short life. While we will never know how he came to be orphaned, it clearly affected him deeply. But now that he is settling in, growing in strength and confidence, a bright and clever young elephant is emerging. Our little boy who was “left behind” will never be alone again.