Maramoja

Now living wild, though she continues to visit us regularly

About Maramoja

  • Current age

    10 years old

  • Gender

    Female

  • Rescued date

    1 July 2016

  • Rescue location

    Tsavo Ecosystem, Tsavo East NP

  • Date of birth (estimate)

    1 January 2015

  • Reason orphaned

    Human-Wildlife Conflict

  • Age at rescue

    17 months old (approx)

  • Current location

    Living Wild

Adopt Maramoja for yourself, or as a gift

Maramoja's rescue

On the first of July Angela received news about an abandoned elephant first sighted by the Tsavo Trust monitoring team close to the Dida Harea plains, in Southern Tsavo East National Park. The calf was continually being rejected by the wild herds that were passing while heading to water, and having been observed for much of the day, it was clear that this was an orphan. She was thin, weak and extremely disorientated.

The SWT Elephant Keepers were granted permission by KWS to mobilize a rescue and immediately headed out to where the calf was. Despite being aged approximately eighteen months, she put up little resistance during capture, and with legs tied she was loaded onto the waiting vehicle and driven to the Voi airstrip to await the arrival of the rescue aircraft that had been arranged to ferry the calf back to the Nursery. Given that Angela had been given advance warning to coordinate a rescue, there was not much waiting time before the plane from Nairobi landed at the Voi Park airstrip.

Thereafter the Nairobi Keepers prepared the orphan for the flight, ensuring that she was hydrated for the duration and injected with all the necessary prophylactic medication before takeoff. The flight back to Nairobi took approximately 1 ½ hours and throughout the journey she lay strapped down comfortably, seemingly calmed by the movement of the plane.

Once safely at the Nursery she was lifted off the back of the pickup and placed in her designated stockade; but before being unstrapped and assisted to her feet she was given a taste of milk to help encourage her to feed. Once up however, she was full of fight, the IV fluids having helped her to gain some strength. She relished the abundant greens that had been cut and placed in her Stockade, as Tsavo at this time of the year is exceptionally dry. Throughout the night she devoured the greens hungrily, and savored the close proximity of the other Nursery orphans in the adjoining stockades who offered her much attention and communicated with her constantly, offering reassuring rumbles.

Tentatively at first she took milk from a bucket, still too fearful to take it from a hand-held bottle, but having had a taste for it, by morning she was prepared to charge for the bottle and desperately down the contents. Daphne named this baby ‘Maramoja’, which means ‘straight away’ in Swahili.

The reason behind the name is that she was rescued on Angela’s birthday, the 1st of July, (Moja being 1 in Swahili) and prompt action having taken place the moment our teams were alerted; also because “Mara” happens to be Angela’s second Christian name.

She loved the company of the others orphans, and after a few days she was calm enough to be free to join the other Nursery orphans in the Nairobi forest. Maramoja is a very lovely and gentle elephant, who has grown into the Nursery routines quite comfortable and thankfully is beginning to put on condition and thrive once more. The reason for her being orphaned however remains a mystery, but her poor condition was a very clear indicator that she had been without Mum for quite some time before being rescued.

The SWT Elephant Keepers were granted permission by KWS to mobilize a rescue and immediately headed out to where the calf was. Despite being aged approximately eighteen months, she put up little resistance during capture, and with legs tied she was loaded onto the waiting vehicle and driven to the Voi airstrip to await the arrival of the rescue aircraft that had been arranged to ferry the calf back to the Nursery. Given that Angela had been given advance warning to coordinate a rescue, there was not much waiting time before the plane from Nairobi landed at the Voi Park airstrip.

Latest updates featuring Maramoja

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Keepers Diaries

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

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Melia's Extraordinary Ithumba Birth

Yesterday at dawn, we witnessed the miracle of life unfold just outside the Ithumba stockades.

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Maramoja's Latest Photos

Access the most recent photos featuring Maramoja

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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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