Now living wild, though he continues to visit us regularly
Current age
15 years old
Gender
Male
Rescued date
23 September 2011
Rescue location
Tsavo Ecosystem, Taita Ranches
Date of birth (estimate)
6 July 2009
Reason orphaned
Poaching
Age at rescue
2 years old (approx)
Current location
Living Wild
Apparently, it had been seen attempting to attach itself to several wild herds, but had been repeatedly rejected, until in desperation it came to the Lodge in an emaciated condition seeking human protection and, hopefully, help. It was obviously an orphan, aged about 2 years, believed to be another poaching victim who had obviously been without its mother for some time. It had a deep arrow wound in the top of the trunk.
The Lodge Manager, who happened to have been a Trust Volunteer in the past, reported the presence of the orphaned calf to Dr. Poghorn, the KWS Vet attached to the Trust’s Mobile Veterinary Unit who alerted the Voi Elephant Keepers and the Trust’s anti-poaching Ziwani De-Snaring Team that a rescue was on the cards. Meanwhile the injured calf had disappeared into thicket, but was spotted again early in the morning of the 23rd September, when the rescue was mounted.
The Rescuers converged on the area where the calf had last been seen, and managed to locate and capture it. It was a young bull aged about 2 ½ years with short tusks, but weakened through milk deprivation. Once it’s legs were bound, the trunk wound which was deep and suppurating, was hurriedly cleaned and the calf given a long acting antibiotic before being driven to the nearest airfield to be airlifted to the Trust;s Nairobi Elephant Nursery. It arrived just after noon – a young 2 ½ year old who has been named “Kasiagau”.
Apparently, it had been seen attempting to attach itself to several wild herds, but had been repeatedly rejected, until in desperation it came to the Lodge in an emaciated condition seeking human protection and, hopefully, help. It was obviously an orphan, aged about 2 years, believed to be another poaching victim who had obviously been without its mother for some time. It had a deep arrow wound in the top of the trunk.
View diary updates from across all our orphan units as written by the Keepers
Ithumba has been the scene of some of our most incredible field stories in recent memory. There have been not one, but two occasions in which orphaned calves were delivered to the stockades by wild elephants.
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