Sosian

Has fully embraced his wild life in Tsavo East National Park

About Sosian

  • Current age

    25 years old

  • Gender

    Male

  • Rescued date

    17 July 2002

  • Rescue location

    Laikipia, Sosian Ranch

  • Date of birth (estimate)

    1 February 2000

  • Reason orphaned

    Poaching

  • Age at rescue

    2 years old (approx)

  • Current location

    Living Wild

Adopt Sosian for yourself, or as a gift

Sosian's rescue

A new orphan called Sosian arrived in the Nairobi Nursery on the 17 of July 2002.A 2 ½ year old elephant who had a week previously been spotted wandering around on his own from the air, but no one was too concerned at the time as there were a number of elephants in the area and it was felt that he would more than likely assimilate into one of those herds. A week later a mounted security patrol on Sosian Ranch in the Rumuruti district of Kenya sighted what was obviously the same baby elephant lying underneath a tree with what seemed like a very distended stomach. They alerted the ranch managers and a rescue team was dispatched.

They managed to secure this young calf, an impressive feat given the size of him. No one knows the reason for Sosian being orphaned, or the whereabouts of his mother, dead or alive, so to this day it remains a mystery.
Mike Seaton, like so many times previously, came to the rescue and dispatched his Cessna Grand Caravan along with a team from The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and a KWS vet, to collect the orphan. No one was prepared for the size of this elephant, as previous reports had said the orphan was “the size of a goat”. On arrival our team were taken to where Sosian was being held, and then faced the daunting task of loading the sedated calf onto a landcruiser to transport him to the airstrip, followed by the near impossible task of lifting the 500 + kilos of calf into the plane, and then the unloading and transportation to our Nairobi Nursery.

This meant that they only arrived back here at 8.00pm in the evening, having embarked on this rescue mission at 2.00pm in the afternoon.

On arrival at the Nairobi nursery we placed Sosian in our most secure stockade, as he was certainly too big for our infant stables, and the Keepers, while ever watchful, handled the situation with caution, very conscious of Sosian’s size! We had some anxious moments while the KWS vet tried to revive him, as he had by this time been under anesthetic for longer than anticipated, but fortunately it wasn’t long before we could all relax again as he slowly came back to life. Right from the moment he came around he began feasting on greens and hasn’t looked back since. When the other nursery orphans were brought to his stockade in the early morning he seemed to relax, although he was inclined to be fairly rough with them.

Had all lines of communication around this rescue been clearer we would have prepared to take Sosian directly to join the older orphans in Tsavo. However, given the delays encountered once the plane arrived in Rumuruti, time no longer permitted the lengthy flight down there, so a decision was made to bring the larger than expected orphaned calf directly to the Nairobi nursery. It was probably the appropriate place for him to be for the first couple of weeks so that we could monitor him closely, tame him down, and make sure he was in perfect health before joining the others his age in Tsavo.

They managed to secure this young calf, an impressive feat given the size of him. No one knows the reason for Sosian being orphaned, or the whereabouts of his mother, dead or alive, so to this day it remains a mystery.
Mike Seaton, like so many times previously, came to the rescue and dispatched his Cessna Grand Caravan along with a team from The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and a KWS vet, to collect the orphan. No one was prepared for the size of this elephant, as previous reports had said the orphan was “the size of a goat”. On arrival our team were taken to where Sosian was being held, and then faced the daunting task of loading the sedated calf onto a landcruiser to transport him to the airstrip, followed by the near impossible task of lifting the 500 + kilos of calf into the plane, and then the unloading and transportation to our Nairobi Nursery.

Latest updates featuring Sosian

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Keepers Diaries

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

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Catastrophe at Ithumba: Ex-Orphan Selengai Poached

Every elephant that dies at the hands of poachers so that it's ivory tusks can satisfy the appetite of the thoughtless masses in the Far East, whilst satiating the greed of local people who are killing the country's irreplaceable wild heritage, sickens all caring people

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Sosian'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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