Has fully embraced his wild life in Tsavo East National Park
Current age
15 years old
Gender
Male
Rescued date
27 August 2011
Rescue location
Tsavo Ecosystem, Rombo Group Ranch
Date of birth (estimate)
26 August 2009
Reason orphaned
Poaching
Age at rescue
2 years old (approx)
Current location
Living Wild
The latest orphan from this area is a two year old bull calf whose mother is believed to be the poached cow elephant who died of poisoned arrow wounds and was found by the Trust’s Ziwani Anti-Poaching Team last month. The calf had apparently been spotted in the area by people from the village, who viewed him as a threat to their children herding livestock. They said that he had visited the body of his slain mother several times. His presence was first reported to the Big Life Scouts who alerted the authorities and the Trust's Field Officer, and he in turn contacted the Keepers based at the Trust’s Voi Rehabilitation Elephant Stockades.
Our SWT/KWS Ziwani Anti-Poaching Team and some of the Voi Elephant Keepers found and rescued the calf during the afternoon of the 27th August 2011, after which he was driven to the Voi Stockades for the night, comforted by the presence of the Keeper Dependent babies based there.
The Nursery Rescuers went armed with a Pole Injection to give the new orphan a mild dose of Stressnil for the flight to Nairobi the next day – 28th August 2011. He arrived at noon and was named Rombo – the name of the general area of human/wildlife conflict that has yielded several of our orphans who have come in with spear injuries.
He was 2 years old, tiny tusks already protruding through the lip, and although emaciated, was not in life threatening physical condition. He was also very calm for a newcomer of this age, and by nightfall was taking milk from a hand-held bottle, and even sucking on the Keeper’s fingers, albeit on the other side of the Taming Stockade partition. He is a very lucky little elephant to have escaped severe spearing and been rescued in time and as soon as he is stabilized, will be a candidate for Ithumba, there to join other two year olds who have already sprouted tusks.
The latest orphan from this area is a two year old bull calf whose mother is believed to be the poached cow elephant who died of poisoned arrow wounds and was found by the Trust’s Ziwani Anti-Poaching Team last month. The calf had apparently been spotted in the area by people from the village, who viewed him as a threat to their children herding livestock. They said that he had visited the body of his slain mother several times. His presence was first reported to the Big Life Scouts who alerted the authorities and the Trust's Field Officer, and he in turn contacted the Keepers based at the Trust’s Voi Rehabilitation Elephant Stockades.
View diary updates from across all our orphan units as written by the Keepers
April was a busy month, but less so than March. Still, there were a number of veterinary cases assisted by the Aerial Unit, as well as significant finds of poaching activity. Over the course of the month, the team flew 187 hours, covering 24,163 kilometres in flight.
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