Mokogodo
Meet Mokogodo!
This little calf was found all on her own in the Mokogodo Forest with no other elephants in sight. She was captured and brought to an area where a helicopter could scoop her up and bring her to safety. Despite only having a few teeth and being on her own for quite a while, she took to her greens right away and LOVES her milk bottles. She is an enchanting girl with a very loving and playful personality. Although she is still too little to give herself a dust bath, she closes her eyes in delight when her Keeper’s give her a dust bath. She has her whole future ahead of her!
Muridjo
Meet Muridjo! This 14 month old calf was orphaned as a direct result of the drought season of 2022. Like most drought victims, Muridjo was terribly thin and weak when she arrived at the Nursery. Survival, in these cases, are hinged on the determination and will to live. Muridjo was fiesty in her early days which made it clear that she was fighting to live. She began to grown stronger and calmer as the weeks passed. She is very outgoing despite being one of the smallest orphans. She has been determined to establish herself as a much older elephant. She tends to enjoy the company of her peers and is a friendly girl to everyone.
Doldol
Meet Doldol! She is the smallest orphan to ever come into the Sheldrick Trust’s care. Beneath the small frame is an enchanting personality and a mighty determination. Her story began in Dol Dol where a tiny calf was discovered in the heart of the community land. Her mother must have been disturbed during birth and then took off into the night, leaving her abandoned calf behind. Luckily, a kind man from the community took custody of her for the night, keeping her warm and protected in his boma. Doldol was rescued from the village and brought to the nursery but because she had not had her mothers colostrum, she was in a very compromised state. Swaddled in her blanket, Doldol made the quiet corner of Kaluku her little kingdom. It is rare to be a part of an elephant’s journey from the very, very beginning. Abandoned minutes out of the womb, Doldol defied the odds simply by surviving. Now, this minature miracle has her whole life ahead.
boon chuey
Meet Boon Chuey! Boon Chuey previously worked in the logging, street begging and trekking industries. She began her days working on the streets of Bangkok and was eventually moved to a trekking camp at a beach resort where she would carry tourists on her back all day. She was even forced to work on the morning of her rescue. Boon Chuey is very easy to recognise due to her deformed spine. A healthy elephant back should be well-rounded, but Boon Chuey’s dips in the middle as a result of her years as a trekking elephant. Trekking elephants often spend full days carrying the weight of their mahout, tourists and a howdah (seat). Boon Chuey is a tall elephant with many scars on her trunk from her working days. She is food oriented, dominant and very temperamental. She moves very quickly for food and will sometimes nudge volunteers if they don’t feed her fast enough!
boon dee
Meet Boon Dee! Her name means “Good Merit” and she was 28 years old when she first arrived at the Wildlife Friends Foundation. She was rescued from a trekking camp in Pattaya. She was in a terrible state when they first met her- half blind, emaciated and covered in abscesses. Her owners cried when they first saw the abuse and neglect she had suffered. They returned her to full health and said they would never let her fall into the wrong hands again. Boon Dee’s owners accompanied her on the journey to WFFT. They cried when they saw where she was going to spend the rest of her life, but this time it was tears of joy. Boon Dee quickly settled in to her new home at Project 4. During her first walk, she approached Gan Da, and we learned they had worked together many years ago. Boon Dee is blind in her right eye. She is friendly towards people and other elephants, but she also enjoys alone time, so she can swim. She can be found splashing around in the lakes almost every day.
nyambeni
Meet Nyambeni! One morning, a suspicious noise had captured a farmer’s attention. He followed the sound to a bank of a shallow, muddy ditch. He was surprised to find a tiny elephant calf crying out to him. Elephants tend to travel farmlands to stay under cover from humans and remain on the constant move. She must have fallen in the night before and her family was forced to leave her behind in fear of what might happen if they stayed in the area for too long. This part of Kenya isn’t known for its sensitive approach towards elephants. In the past, orphans found on farmlands would not have been helped or would have been poached. But times are changing and some local community are becoming more invested in the giants they live alongside. With that said, this farmer made it his mission to save her. Although she was only 3 months old, she was still quite heavy. Once he was able to get her out of the ditch, he tethered her to a tree and called the proper authorities. Nyambeni was teething when brought to the nursery which makes for an even more stressful transition but she passed through it with flying colors. She is one playful and social little girl. Had her heroic rescuer not intervened, this little elephant’s story could have ended in that ditch. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for this fun-loving young girl.
mzinga
Meet Mzinga! Mzinga is alive today because of a chance sighting. A Tsavo Works Manager was driving along the remote, dusty road and he spotted a tiny elephant near Msinga Hill. She was all alone and dwarfed by the vast wilderness surrounding her. It is not unusual to spot elephants in this area but a tiny calf no older than a month or two, all alone, was. Support was called in to comb the area for any nearby elephants but with the open grasslands stretching as far as the eye could see, there was no mistake that this baby was alone. Her rescue was as smoother than most because of her size and she made it to the nursery that she will spend the next three years at. Mzinga was in the teething stage which caused her condition to dip a bit. She is a fighter though and even though her cheeks hollowed out, her spirit never wavered. She would follow her keepers for short walks around the compound, her trunk swinging and ears alert. Her final molar popped through and Mzinga was ready to blossom. Swaddled in her colorful blanket, she paddles around the nursery with the confidence of a much bigger elephant. She is known as the queen bee of the ‘Blanket Brigade”.
manda
Meet Manda! On Dec. 15th, Tsavo Trust rangers spotted an orphaned elephant in the center of the Tsavo West National Park. He was just the right size to still fit inside the helicopter, making for an easier rescue. The calf was thin and had clearly been without his mother for quite a while. He was a leggy elephant and large for a one year old which meant he had plenty of fight in him. He gave everyone a run around but was finally able to be restrained. Although he was sedated, he let his feelings be known that he was unhappy with his situation. He was about 1,000lbs so the helicopter was very cramped and just able to carry him. The rescue was in the night so Manda was not able to be delivered to the Nairobi Nursery and instead was taken to the Kaluku Neonate Nursery to join Mayan, Vaarti and Rokka before being able to graduate to one of the other three reintegration units. For a long time, Manda remained very shy. However, he now rules the roost! He is very tall and very strong. Once lost and lonely, Manda has finally found his place among a loving herd.
choka
Meet Choka! Tourists had reported a calf standing vigil beside his dead mother. He was located on the Ndara Plans, which was experiencing the worst of Tsavo’s extended dry season. There wasn’t a minute to spare if he was going to be saved. What a horrific sight- Dwarfed by the drought-stricken plains, the skeletal calf was huddled by his fallen mother. We mourn the loss of any elephant, but it is especially heartbreaking to see a young family torn apart. The mother must have hung on for as long as she could with her milk being depleted in the days and weeks leading up to her death. The baby was scooped up and brought directly to the nursery to be given an IV and milk. The older orphans were intrigued and delighted to have such a tiny guest. Choka is very small for his age and the worms had taken hold. This is common and can be a death sentence for an infant elephant but he was fighting to survive. Choka’s name means “exhausted” in Swahili. He was rescued at a challenging time which makes makes it even more special that this lion-hearted little calf beat the odds and is so full of life today. Choka has embraced his new family and can always be found at the heart of the Nursery.
sileita
Meet Sileita! “At just 16 months old, Sileita’s mother was shot dead. She would not survive long on her own so a rescue was quickly organized. Human-wildlife conflict increases due to an extremely challenging drought. It was an incredibly heartbreaking scene when rescue arrived- the beautiful female elephant lifeless, with her small daughter pacing around her. Although young, the calf was full of fight with her ears spread wide, ready to ward off anyone who approached. Sileita was too large for the helicopter so a sling rescue was organized. It was a somber scene as the little girl was airlifted, leaving her mother behind. The irony was not lost on anyone: While humans left her an orphan, the same species was capable of moving mountains to save her. Of course, she was very traumatized and had a deep aversion to humans and even refused to drink from a bottle, only accepting milk from a bucket. Day by day, she was exposed to the gentle nurturing and love from the Keepers which showed her that there are kind men. While Sileita took a long time to heal emotionally, she thrived physically from the outset. Sileita lost her mother in the worst possible way. While nothing can erase the tragedy, she is now offered the future she deserves. After a period of mourning, Sileita has opened her heart to the humans and orphans around her and has finally found a family again.”
vaarti
Meet Vaarti! One morning, a female elephant and a newborn calf strode up to the stockades of the Nursery. The Keepers had never seen this female before but looked to be about 8 years old which was way too young to be the calf’s mother. The calf left the female and ran over to a group of bulls at the nearby water trough desperate to find some milk as he had been starving for quite some time. It was clear that he was an orphan. Once the female noticed that he was in safe hands, she disappeared into the brush never to be seen again. It is certain that she came to the Nursery with the intention of delivering him into safe hands. Vaarti had developed a severe urinary tract infection. At a last ditch effort, they tried one last antibiotic. Fortunately, it did the trick! Now, his days are spent resting in the shade, observing the going-ons around Kaluku, and napping in his cozy stable as he regained his strength. Vaarti is a ray of sunshine in elephant form. He is never in a bad mood and always seems delighted by what each new day brings. And to think, this little bull is alive today all because of one brave female who took responsibility for him and delivered him into safe hands.
lorigon
Meet Lorigon! It all started with a tiny set of tracks. Lone footprints of a young elephant calf were spotted in the heavily frequented elephant corridor that runs between Isiolo and Laikipia. They tracked the baby for several days but he remained elusive. Lorigon’s condition caught up with him and he was found lying in the shade of a small acacia tree. His strength ebbing away. The team performed an aerial rescue to being the baby to safety. Lorigon arrived at the Nursery a shell, requiring plentiful IV drips to ply him back to life. While he was small and weak he was very spunky. This is always a good sign- it is very difficult to bring an elephant back from the brink if they do not want to save themselves. Today, Lorigon is doing very well! He is quite shy by nature and often prefers to observe the action from the bushes but he always looks so happy!
lasayen
Meet Lasayen! A tiny calf was retrieved from a well on the Namunyak conservancy in Samburu by the community rangers. He had fallen down this community well meant for livestock but often visited by the thirsty elephant herds in the night during the dry season months. The family would have to leave the calf to avoid human wildlife conflict at daybreak. The rangers in the community rescued the calf from the well and tried to reintroduce him to a herd that they had hoped was his family. Sadly, it did not work and the Sheldrick Trust was called in with a request of a rescue. On arrival, Lasayen was placed in a freshly prepared stable and given milk which he took greedily. He was still teething when brought in which means he was probably around 1 month old. It has since been 7 years and Lasayen has graduated to the Voi Reserve where he is living with 20 other orphans and still some guardianship from the Keeper’s. This is a great step for Lasayen and the rest of the Sheldrick Trust Team.
somboon
Meet Somboon! Somboon is 40 years old and was used in the logging, trekking and street begging industries before being rescued. She had been roaming the streets for several years before being hit by a speeding car in 2006. The collision did not break her hind leg, but it did enough damage to leave her limping, and so her owners had to retire her. Somboon now lives at WFFT’s Newlands with Khan Kluey, WFFT’s only male elephant. She took on the role of his adoptive mother shortly after being rescued. Somboon walks with an obvious limp after her car collision. She has a small hole in her right ear, pink depigmentation on the bottom of both ears, and slightly sunken temple domes. Staff and volunteers both agree she is a very beautiful elephant. Somboon is very active and loves her food. She has a caring nature and watches closely over Khan Kluey.
KIASA
Meet Kiasa! A tiny elephant calf was spotted being escorted by two big bull elephants, which is typically an odd sight to see. A few days earlier there had been sightings of a dead female who had succumbed to the effects of drought not far from the same location. Without mother’s milk this calf would most certainly die, as she was estimated to be anywhere from 5 to 8 months old. Given the open terrain it was not difficult to gently separate the bulls from the baby with the helicopter so that the baby could be captured safely. She made it to the Nursery and gulped down milk and water and even slept, clearly being exhausted for quite some time. The very next day she was out in the company of the other orphans although remaining distant from the other orphans. This is common of orphans this age, who miss their lost elephant family and grieve for such a long time. Physically Kiasa has thrived, growing fat and strong. Her emotional scars are healing fast as well and is now interacting with the group more comfortably and playing exuberantly in the midday mud bath.
mayan
Meet Mayan! He is considered one of their greatest miracle babies. KWS received a call from the Manyani Prison stating that they had found an infant elephant at the bottom of their septic tank. His tiny body was completely submerged, with only his trunk poking above the sewage like a desperate snorkel. We can only imagine his family’s anguish with any attempts to extract him and the decision to have to leave him behind. Any chance to reunite him to his herd had evaporated so he was quickly taken and treated to a deep clean. Mayan had a rough few first months in the nursery, teetering between life and death but his Keepers never faltered. Suddenly, things started to look better. He had taken a turn for the better and things became full steam ahead. Mayan’s health tribulations stunted his growth so he remains quite small but makes up for that with his character. Within his diminutive body and cheerful demeanor hides a fierce spirit.
boon ma
Meet 70 year old Boon Ma! Boon Ma was a working elephant for over five decades, mostly in the tourism industry. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked at an elephant camp in Phang Nga province. However, due to a lack of tourists, she was moved to a logging camp near Trang (Southern Thailand) where she would pull logs from rubber farms. Every working elephant in these industries only knows a lifetime of pain. It starts with the separation from their mother as a baby, then the Phajaan process that breaks their spirit, followed by many years of abuse and torture. Luckily, Boon Ma will never experience this again. She will live out her days at the WFFT Elephant Refuge. Boon Ma is food oriented and moves very quickly, despite her age. She enjoys swimming and loves to cool herself down with dust baths. She is nervous around other elephants, but in time we hope she will join a small herd.
MEE CHAI
Meet Mee Chai! Mee Chai is 42 years old and spent most of her life working in the logging industry in Myanmar, during which time a tree fell on her leg and broke it. Unable to pull logs any more, she was sold to a trekking camp in Thailand and her injured leg continued to get worse. After friends of WFFT, Joan Pearson and the WFFT team discovered Mee Chai, we arranged her rescue as soon as possible. Despite her injury, Mee Chai now moves very well and does not show any discomfort, no doubt due to the fact she is no longer forced to carry weight on her back. Mee Chai bonded with Gan Da very quickly. She is friendly towards people but sometimes dominant with other elephants, trying to establish herself as head of a small herd. Mee Chai loves mud baths on a hot day.
Alicia
Meet Alicia! Our first Asian Elephant sponsorship! Alicia is 54 years old and for six years prior to her rescue, She gave rides to tourists in an elephant camp in Eastern Thailand. Before that, she was used as a logging elephant, possibly in neighbouring Myanmar. Alicia was likely taken from the wild, where she would have been roaming the forests with her herd. However, her early life history is not fully known. This is very common with elderly captive elephants here in Southeast Asia. Alicia has a very dominant personality. She usually stays close to Malai Ngern and vocalises in low rumbles throughout the day to communicate with other elephants. We are also told that during her time at the elephant camp, she lived close to fellow WFFT resident La Ong Dao.
mbirikani
Meet Mbirikani! She was 3-4 years old when her right foot became very swollen which made it extremely hard to walk and she could not keep up with her herd. The injury was caused by a cable snare. The team had to clean maggots and puss from the wound and give a heavy dose of antibiotic. It was clear that she would need ongoing treatment so the team made the decision to bring her back to the orphanage. It only took a week for her to settle in and start healing. Nearly 10 years later she is a big beautiful girl thriving in the wild. In 2018 she was greeted by a wild heard near a watering hole. Mbirikani made the decision to go off with them. The keepers searched for her but were unable to locate her. In 2019 she showed up to say hello after a year of no sightings. She looked healthier than ever and was happy to see the people who had saved her life.
barnoti
Meet Barnoti! Tragically Barnoti’s mother died of natural causes leaving him at just 19 months old. He was lucky to have two older sisters who diligently looked after him. As time went on, survival became a daily challenge and his conditioned was deteriorating. He was eventually too weak to follow his family. He was found in a dire state which called for an immediate rescue operation. This was a hard mission because Barnoti was a big 2.5 year old. Barnoti settled in to the Nursery marvelously and as always, the other orphans were delighted to have a newcomer. Barnoti has already experienced so much. We mourn the fact that he lost his beautiful mother and the pain his sisters felt having to leave him behind. He is a survivor and will now have a future and a family with the other orphans.
Oldepe
Meet Oldepe! In eary November, there were reports of an abandoned calf at the edge of the Ol Tukai Orok palm woodlands. There was a 2.5 year old bull wandering in a swamp completely alone. They waited to see if he would reunite with his family, but tragically, that never happened. Oldepe was on the larger side, which can complicate rescues but the entire operation went smoothly. Once Oldepe settled into the Nursery they realized they had a Houdini on their hands. Oldepe developed a naughty game penchant for playing hide and seek with his Keepers. Each time the Keepers caught a glimpse of him he would dash off and hide in the thick bush. Although his new game was quite funny, Oldepe’s antics did cause everyone a lot of stress. Fortunately it seems that his love of hide and seek has run its course and Oldepe has remained firmly anchored to the rest of the herd ever since.
larro
Meet Larro! Reports had come in of an orphaned baby elephant, alone and struggling in the Ripoi area in the Masai Mara. The calf was reported to be small, less than a year old and very much milk dependent. She had been observed for 2 days with no elephant herds sighted in the area. The Keeper’s had arrived shortly and found her in a thicket where the scouts and rangers were still observing her. She was hoisted into the plane by many helping hands and given IV fluids on the way back to the Nursery. Larro was placed in the stable next to Enkesha who was very curious of all of the activity going on next door. Larro was especially weak for the first few days but was finally introduced to the herd and was comforted by the welcoming nature of all the other elephants. The reason for Larro being orphaned remains unconfirmed but she does come from an area that has seen an increased human-wildlife conflict in the recent months. There have been 28 separate cases of speared or arrowed elephants in this same area, one of which could have possibly been Larro’s mother.
latika
Meet Latika! Like most of our stories, this one does not have a happy beginning. A young calf was spotted drinking at the waterhole in Salt Lick Lodge in Tsavo National Park. Some observers noticed that she had a snare around her neck and appeared to not belong to any herd that was visiting the waterhole. The Ziwani Anti-Poaching Team headed to the scene to begin treatment. The calf was in poor condition and struggling to keep up with a herd that was nearby. The herd showed little interest and could not afford to look after a milk-dependent calf who is not their own. The snare could have been fatal but it hadn’t cut too deeply yet. Dr. Poghon was able to remove it without issues. The Team did stay in the area a bit longer to make sure that this calf was an orphan before taking her back to the Nursery. She was named Latika, after the area where she was rescued. Latika settled into Nursery life slowly but surely. She is selective about the company she keeps but has formed a cohort with some of the other new rescues. One thing is for certain: this young elephant is a fighter and a force to be reckoned with!
Suguroi
Meet Suguroi! It was by pure luck that she was found. Unfortunately, she was found next to her mothers carcass in Lugga. The pilot that spotted her happened to be a former pilot for the orphanage otherwise, she would not have been found. She was named after the lugga where she was found. An autopsy revealed that her mother did not die of foul play but by a tragic consequence of a fall. Suguroi is an extremely timid little girl. It took her almost a week to accept milk from a bottle. The other orphans have respected her shyness but make it known that she is very loved. Suguroi is expected to continue to blossom in the coming months and years.
rokka
Meet Rokka! She was found completely alone near the Tiva River. The Keepers had searched and searched for nearby elephants that Rokka may had wandered away from but there weren’t any in sight. They made the decision to take her back to the orphanage. Rokka did not go effortlessly and there were only 2 Keepers attempting the rescue when this is typically a more than 2 person job. They were able to make it work, thankfully and get her into the helicopter safely. Lemeki and Thamana happily greeted her with rumbles to ease her stress. Rokka is an extremely spunky little girl. Despite the fact that she is one of the youngest members of the neonate herd, she marches around with the bearing of an elephant twice her size. Shortly after her rescue, the decaying carcasses of 3 poached elephants were discovered. It is possible that one of them were her mother.
Esoit
Meet Esoit! He is a 20 month old orphan that was rescued after his mother was badly injured. The mother was in so much agony that euthanasia was, unfortunately, the only option. This rescue took place near Esoitpuss, a massive, blue-hued rock where vultures roost. They named the rescued baby Esoit, forever connecting him to the place of his birth. Esoit has been the definition of strength and immediately settled in to the Nursery life. His bright eyes, perfectly round face, and charming personality have won over the Keepers. Esoit will be raised in a loving and nurturing family environment. Once he is ready, they will help him reclaim his place in the wild.
Kerrio
Meet Kerrio! She is a 9 month old orphan that was found in the Kerio Valley. Shots rang out in the valley-home to about 800 elephants and this sweet babe was found abandoned in the tall grasses. The rescue was extremely difficult to complete. The Keepers had quickly discovered that Kerrio’s hind legs were almost lifeless, wobbling hopelessly when she tried to put weight on them. The Keepers are not certain if the injury is a result of the gunfire and being trampled or was a preexisting condition. Kerrio had a great first night with the other orphans rallying around her to show their support and acceptance. Kerrio’s story started on a tragic note but with the support of the Keepers and the other orphans she looks like she will have a bright future!
Thamana
Meet Thamana! He is a 2 year old orphan that was rescued at just 3 weeks old. Thamana was left by his herd after becoming stuck in the middle of a drying water hole. He exceeded in his neonate nursery care and is now one courageous, fun bull who never skips a beat, despite all the hurdles that life threw at him. As a Tsavo elephant by birth, he will go on to reclaim his place back in the wild of Kenya’s largest National Park. Thamana in Swahili means “something of value”. That couldn’t be more true.
Ziwadi
Meet Ziwadi. She is a 2 year old orphan that was rescued in Masai Mara, Oloisukuk Conservancy and currently resides at the Nairobi Nursery. Ziwadi has had a very tough road but has been a brave girl non the less. She has made incredible strides to recover. The dedicated Keepers have helped her flourish on her path to a healthy life. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us, help her. Ziwadi also thanks you for loving coffee and hearing her story!