Gender
Female
Rescued date
1 May 1999
Rescue location
Unknown
Date of birth (estimate)
1 October 1998
Reason orphaned
Problem animal control
Age at rescue
6 months old (approx)
Date of passing
22 December 2007
Mweiga was a victim of "problem animal control", her family having wandered into human settlement near Mweiga, so she comes from the Aberdare forest population. The herd was driven out of the settlement by thunder flashes at night but Mweiga was left behind.
She was big for her age, estimated by the Vet who darted her for capture to be a year old, when in fact she was barely 7 months, and as such should have been a Nairobi Nursery candidate. Instead she was flown direct to Tsavo where she suffered from the heat, and severe psychological depression, missing her elephant family sorely. Mweiga is a delicate, but very sweet elephant, and has a sensitive disposition.
Mweiga was a victim of "problem animal control", her family having wandered into human settlement near Mweiga, so she comes from the Aberdare forest population. The herd was driven out of the settlement by thunder flashes at night but Mweiga was left behind.
It was a step-back in time, to be driving again on Solio Ranch near Mweiga, gradually making our way to a special enclosure that had kept some of my first rhino orphans safe for the past 34 years – rhino orphans from our Tsavo days when my late husband, David, was Warden of Tsavo East National Park