Now living wild, where she is a matriarch and mother of an ever-growing family
Current age
31 years old
Gender
Female
Rescued date
15 November 1993
Rescue location
Tsavo Ecosystem, Tsavo East NP
Date of birth (estimate)
1 October 1993
Reason orphaned
Trapped in septic pit
Age at rescue
1 month old (approx)
Current location
Living Wild
As the Rangers approached, the herd moved a short distance away, following which the calf was able to be pulled out of the pit, but she emerged covered in stinking human faeces. An attempt to reunite her with her mother failed, due to the human scent on the baby which was so over-powering that the mother did not recognize her baby as even an elephant, and flung the calf aside before running away in terror.
It took Emily 4 months to recover both physically and psychologically from this terrible ordeal, which involved rejection from her own family - a devastating blow for a tiny elephant who has always been surrounded by tender care, cosetting and love. During this time she suffered many physical problems as well as deep grieving. These included stomach upsets and eventually a sluggish peristalsis of the gut that caused a blockage and severe stomach cramps. The condition was so serious that it necessitated sedation, in order that gallons of liquid paraffin could be administered through a tube inserted down the throat and directly into the stomach cavity. We feared that we might lose her during this process, but she managed to pull through, and in time made a full recovery.
As the Rangers approached, the herd moved a short distance away, following which the calf was able to be pulled out of the pit, but she emerged covered in stinking human faeces. An attempt to reunite her with her mother failed, due to the human scent on the baby which was so over-powering that the mother did not recognize her baby as even an elephant, and flung the calf aside before running away in terror.
View diary updates from across all our orphan units as written by the Keepers
Yesterday at dawn, we witnessed the miracle of life unfold just outside the Ithumba stockades.
Eve is the first calf of Emily, an orphan living back in the wild, who was born just before Christmas in 2008. Her primary nanny during her first few years was Edie, another orphan living back in the wild. Read more
This naughty little calf is very outgoing and is always seeking out new playmates, regardless of their age or size. She`s even been known to challenge big ex-orphans like Moran to pushing games. She loves meeting new friends and hanging out with Lesanju`s ex-orphan herd. Her nannies are sister, Eve and Moran. Read more
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