Now living wild, though she continues to visit us regularly
Current age
11 years old
Gender
Female
Rescued date
25 October 2016
Rescue location
Tsavo Ecosystem, Taita Ranches
Date of birth (estimate)
16 April 2014
Reason orphaned
Drought related
Age at rescue
2 years old (approx)
Current location
Living Wild
Rukinga is one of the many ranches adjacent to Tsavo East National Park, and is a vital dry season range for Tsavo’s elephants. The management of the ranch had observed the female calf for three days, hoping that she would assimilate back into a wild herd and move off with them.
However, she remained there without food or water and it became evident that she was doomed to die unless rescued. Trevor Jennings of the SWT along with one of our anti-poaching teams, some KWS rangers and our Voi Elephant Keepers drove the 45-minute journey to undertake the rescue of this calf who was estimated to be around two and a half years of age.
In the meantime, Angela Sheldrick was contacted, and preparations were made to fly the calf to the SWT Nairobi Nursery as it was clear that she would need intensive care given her precarious state. She was a large calf, with tusks one inch long, but severely weakened and emaciated from the drought, so she put up little resistance. The ground team did not have to wait long before the plane landed on the dusty Rukinga airstrip, the calf by now recumbent in the back of a Landcruiser; it required many able-bodied men to heave her out of the vehicle and load her into the aircraft, with both Rukinga staff and scouts all involved in this exercise. She was immediately placed on intravenous lifesaving drip for the duration of the flight and the drive to the Nursery based in Nairobi National Park.
Rukinga is one of the many ranches adjacent to Tsavo East National Park, and is a vital dry season range for Tsavo’s elephants. The management of the ranch had observed the female calf for three days, hoping that she would assimilate back into a wild herd and move off with them.
However, she remained there without food or water and it became evident that she was doomed to die unless rescued. Trevor Jennings of the SWT along with one of our anti-poaching teams, some KWS rangers and our Voi Elephant Keepers drove the 45-minute journey to undertake the rescue of this calf who was estimated to be around two and a half years of age.
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