Kihari

Has fully embraced her wild life in Tsavo East National Park

About Kihari

  • Current age

    14 years old

  • Gender

    Female

  • Rescued date

    10 September 2011

  • Rescue location

    Mount Kenya Region, Home Forest

  • Date of birth (estimate)

    3 September 2010

  • Reason orphaned

    Unknown

  • Age at rescue

    12 months old (approx)

  • Current location

    Living Wild

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Kihari's rescue

The Hombe Forest covers the lower slopes of Mt. Kenya and very fortunately the community that occupies this part of the country is ele-friendly, mainly due to Edwin Kinyanjui of the Mt. Kenya Bill Woodley Trust, who has had a hand in rescuing orphans Kenia, Mumbushi and now little “Kihari” - a yearling female calf who, like the others, wandered alone onto community land on the 9th September 2011 and whose presence was reported to Edwin Kinyanjui by community members Paul Nyagah and Martin Waweru.

These two men kept a watch over the orphan that day, hoping that its mother would return during the night to reclaim it, but there was no evidence of other elephants in the area. While we do not know for sure, since a marked escalation of poaching has been reported within the Mt. Kenya National Park of late, and the calf was very weak having obviously been without milk for some time, she is likely to have been yet another poaching victim. She was reported as being “friendly” towards humans, which for a wild calf of that age, is never a good sign!

Her presence was reported to the Warden, Robert O’Brien, who is familiar with the work of the Trust, having previously worked in Tsavo. He sent eight Rangers under the leadership of Senior Sgt. Lokonyan to retrieve the calf the next day and drive it to the Nanyuki airfield, meanwhile alerting the Trust that an air rescue was on the cards. By 10 am on 10th September 2011, the yearling orphan, who at the request of the community has been named “Kihari” (the name of that specific area) was safely back at the Nursery, and although obviously weak and thin, still had sufficient strength to give the Keepers quite a run around, but slept well during the night.

By morning she was still feisty and had refused the milk, but had taken some water. She then collapsed during the afternoon of the 11th, which entailed the insertion of life supporting Dextrose drip into an ear vein which revived her. However by evening she was again in a state of collapse and breathing very heavily, so the drip was replaced and revived her a second time. Once back on her feet, she took milk during the night and by the morning of the 12th September, was much stronger.

Little Kihari is a beautiful little elephant, aged about one year, with large bright eyes and a spirited disposition. We are hopeful that she will live to enjoy a wild life again as another member of our growing Ex Orphan family in the fullness of time.

These two men kept a watch over the orphan that day, hoping that its mother would return during the night to reclaim it, but there was no evidence of other elephants in the area. While we do not know for sure, since a marked escalation of poaching has been reported within the Mt. Kenya National Park of late, and the calf was very weak having obviously been without milk for some time, she is likely to have been yet another poaching victim. She was reported as being “friendly” towards humans, which for a wild calf of that age, is never a good sign!

Latest updates featuring Kihari

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Keepers Diaries

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Kihari'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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