Godoma

A special mini matriarch of our Voi herd and a beloved nanny to many

About Godoma

  • Current age

    10 years old

  • Gender

    Female

  • Rescued date

    14 August 2015

  • Rescue location

    Tsavo Ecosystem, Taita Ranches

  • Date of birth (estimate)

    14 February 2015

  • Reason orphaned

    Trapped in a well

  • Age at rescue

    5 months old (approx)

  • Current location

    Voi Reintegration Unit

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Godoma's rescue

Early morning on the 14th of August 2015, Conservancy Scouts from the Taita Hills Sanctuary, a private Conservancy of 28,000 acres at the foot of the Taita Hills Mountains adjacent to Tsavo West National Park, came across a tiny elephant calf trapped in a steep-sided watering point. The calf was bruised and battered from her obviously life threatening struggle but the scouts immediately came to her aid, retrieving her from the water and releasing her in the hope that her mother and herd might return for her.

The calf was still milk dependent, only a couple of months old, and cut a desperately vulnerable figure as she trailed a herd of zebra and three buffalo on the open plains. She was kept under observation for most of the day but there were no other elephants in the area, and how long she had been trapped for was unclear, so whilst there was still time to mount a rescue the SWT elephant Keepers from Voi were contacted.

The sanctuary is situated 1½ hour’s drive from our Voi rehabilitation unit and the men wasted no time getting to the site with much needed milk formula and some daylight in hand.

Simultaneously a rescue aircraft was mobilized from Nairobi and our Nursery Keepers prepared the necessary rescue paraphernalia. The two teams met at the Taita airfield and handed over their precious cargo. The female calf was carefully prepared for her flight with an intravenous drip inserted into her ear vein before take off. It was close to nightfall by the time she arrived at the Nairobi Nursery with a carefully prepared stable awaiting her arrival. She cried much of the night, missing her lost family enormously but with the reassuring company of the rest of the Nursery orphans along with loving tender attention from her keepers she eventually settled. We have called her Godoma, the name of the valley close to where she was rescued, and we estimate she was about five to six months old on arrival.

While Godoma, despite her injuries, did well physically, she has missed her lost family terribly and has taken a long time to settle and comfortably integrate into the Nursery herd. She has been shy and reserved, remaining on the fringes of the group, but with the resident orphans giving her constant attention we have watched her change and grow more comfortable. In the beginning the first stable we placed her in caused her great anxiety. She felt claustrophobic, but when we changed her stable and placed her in one with a higher roof and more space, Mwashoti’s stable, she was instantly more comfortable. Thankfully mellow Mwashoti had no problem with the stable change.

The calf was still milk dependent, only a couple of months old, and cut a desperately vulnerable figure as she trailed a herd of zebra and three buffalo on the open plains. She was kept under observation for most of the day but there were no other elephants in the area, and how long she had been trapped for was unclear, so whilst there was still time to mount a rescue the SWT elephant Keepers from Voi were contacted.

Latest updates featuring Godoma

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Keepers Diaries

View diary updates from across all our orphan units as written by the Keepers

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The Rescue of Baraka

Little Baraka survived a poacher’s snare, only to fall victim to the 2022 drought. Her name means ‘blessing’ in Swahili — a fitting tribute to how fortunate she was to overcome two significant hurdles to survive. Baraka’s story with us began at the height of the 2022 drought, which had a devastating effect on Tsavo’s elephant population.

Read more

Godoma's Latest Photos

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What's included in your adoption?

By adopting, you play a vital role in the life of an orphaned elephant, rhino, or giraffe — helping us provide the round-the-clock, loving attention each one needs and deserves over many years, so they can ultimately reclaim their place in the wild.

Your adoption supports the 100+ orphans in our care at any given time, covering the cost of milk and food supplies, Keepers' salaries, veterinary treatment, and other essentials.

Personalised adoption certificate

Celebrate your adoption with a personalised certificate, ready for you or your lucky gift recipient to print and display!

Monthly updates

Each month, we send a detailed update about our Orphans’ Project direct to your email inbox, featuring photos, stories, and special highlights.

Exclusive content

From the latest Keepers’ Diaries to a downloadable image gallery and more, adopters have exclusive access to our content library.

Do you have any questions?

Please refer to our FAQs for more information on the Adoption Program. However, if there is any specific question that is not on the FAQs page, feel free to contact us and we will do our best to assist you.
FAQs

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