However, for us, “the dream” came true in an unusual way – the arrival by air of a tiny Southern African orphan named “Ollie”, despite immense pressure from many quarters in that part of the world; those who think that only humans are worthy of compassion, and all other living creatures are a mere commercial commodity for sale to the highest bidder. Fortunately, not all people in Southern Africa think that way; hence the saving of “Ollie”.

Said the famous Naturalist Albert Schweitzer, “until mankind can extend his compassion to the animals, he will never find peace”. We, in Kenya, are proud to be the one country in Africa whose wildlife policy incorporates the vital ingredient of compassion and animal welfare, something that is demonstrated on a daily basis by the hundreds of Kenyans who flock to our Nairobi Nursery to watch and wonder as the infant elephant babies take their noon mud bath. With the permission of Wildcare, we changed his name to reflect his Southern African origins and he became known as “Madiba”, the name by which famous Nelson Mandela was affectionately known in his homeland.

Madiba is now an ex-orphan, having integrated into Tsavo's wild elephant population from our Ithumba Reintegration Unit.