Four of our Keepers joined the group and set off to the area. After about 30 minutes they spotted the abandoned elephant and cautiously walked towards it but the elephant kept its distance. Its age was estimated to be two years old and it was seen to be a male.

At first they tried to steer the direction of the weak calf towards the elephant Stockades, in order to be able to get assistance to be able to overpower and capture it, but the elephant refused to head in that direction. The Keepers then made an attempt at capture, but even in its emaciated state, they were overpowered and the elephant forced its way through the electric fence surrounding the lodge compound. Once within the Staff Compound, the group again tried to surround the calf, but it escaped the dragnet. The group continued following, hoping to be able to seize any opportunity of being able to capture it, something that continued until 6 pm when additional Keepers were able to provide reinforcement, once our orphans had returned for the night. However, the little elephant kept on dodging its captors until 7.30 pm when the group managed to finally over power him. Having carefully secured the elephant with ropes, they walked him to the vehicle and with the help of numerous staff managed to load him onto the trailer.

It was 9 p.m. at night when the elephant was off loaded from the trailer at the Night Stockades and joined the other orphans inside. He was given re-hydration salts, and was named “Irima”, the name of the hill near to where he was found. Obviously, he had lost his lactating mother, and would most certainly have died had help not arrived.

The presence of the other orphans instantly reassured and comforted this lonely calf, who was, indeed, fortunate not to have fallen victim to the pride of lions that habitually frequented the lodge waterhole. He became very calm and responded well to the welcoming gestures of all the other orphans. Before long they were all feeding together and he had happily integrated into the older elephant group.