Murit

A friend to everyone, known for his

About Murit

  • Current age

    11 years old

  • Gender

    Male

  • Rescued date

    10 July 2014

  • Rescue location

    Samburu, Namunyak Conservancy

  • Date of birth (estimate)

    17 May 2014

  • Reason orphaned

    Trapped in a well

  • Age at rescue

    1 month old (approx)

  • Current location

    Voi Reintegration Unit

Adopt Murit for yourself, or as a gift

Murit's rescue

On 9th July the KWS Wamba platoon commander received a report from a community informer that a tiny elephant calf had been discovered down a well. A local herdsman had been taking his herd to water when to his amazement he was confronted by a trapped elephant baby. How long the calf had remained submerged in the well nobody knows as there was absolutely no sign of elephants remaining in the area.

Once the KWS Wamba team had been alerted they immediately drove to the location where the baby had been spotted. The team acted fast and managed to remove the calf from the well but the baby was clearly battered and bruised from the ordeal with infected blood red eyes. Because of the late hour the calf was kept over night and KWS Veterinary officer Dr. Mutinda informed Angela Sheldrick the following morning, on the 10th July 2014, that a baby elephant in Wamba was in need of rescuing.

Within an hour the SWT rescue team was in the air en route to Wamba airstrip.

The SWT team landed at 11:35am and were met by the KWS rangers with a tiny baby elephant in the back of their landcruiser. Immediately a bottle of milk (formula) was given and the baby was then prepared for the flight back to Nairobi. He was severely dehydrated and to be safe was placed on a drip.
Once safely in the Nursery the tiny calf was unloaded and ushered into a cozy stable with fresh cut hay, a hanging blanket for comfort and warm freshly mixed milk on hand.
He was exhausted and after feeding, promptly collapsed and slept. The blood results revealed he had a very serious bacterial infection, which came as little surprise given his ordeal. He had obviously ingested huge amounts of the putrid water while submerged in the well and was immediately placed on medication to combat the infection.
He has been named Murit which means “where two rivers meet” in Samburu, which was appropriate given the location he was rescued from. Murit had a precarious first six weeks as his infection proved persistent and required a couple of antibiotic courses to get topside of it. He was teething at the time of rescue and so we watched the chubby little calf that came into our care go through that all too familiar dramatic loss of condition as we struggled to keep Murit alive. He had steadfast little companions in the Nursery who made sure that every day he had all the attention he needed, and more sometimes, with his mini herd, including Kauro, Kamok and Mbegu, constantly on hand.

The older orphans too were attentive, along with his Keepers who never left his side day and night. Murit fought through the drama of his early weeks and finally turned the corner and has begun to put on condition and has started to play which is a brilliant sign. He is also beginning to mount the little girls too which would suggest he is feeling much better!

Once the KWS Wamba team had been alerted they immediately drove to the location where the baby had been spotted. The team acted fast and managed to remove the calf from the well but the baby was clearly battered and bruised from the ordeal with infected blood red eyes. Because of the late hour the calf was kept over night and KWS Veterinary officer Dr. Mutinda informed Angela Sheldrick the following morning, on the 10th July 2014, that a baby elephant in Wamba was in need of rescuing.

Latest updates featuring Murit

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Murit'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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