Jane Phillips โญ๏ธ๐โจ๐๐ฑ๐ฑโค๏ธ๐ถ๐ถ๐
@JaneDaisyPain
Love all things space ๐ and cats ๐ฑ Teddy born 20.04.20 & now Stanley born 18.09.21 ๐ฑLove Labradors ๐ถHenry and Snoopy ๐๐๐ They were good boys โค๏ธ
Do elephants who need treatment recognise that we're trying to help?
Sometimes, yes! In July 2023, a bull elephant appeared at the Ithumba stockades with an arrow wound. He quickly disappeared back into the wilderness and then, days later, turned up again, this time in the company of ex-orphans Zurura and Kasigau. He proceeded to walk inside one of the stockades (almost unheard-of for a wild elephant), and patiently waited. He could not have made it more clear that he was asking for help!
While a treatment unfolded, ex-orphans Zurura and Kasigau stood stood sentry. Once the operation was complete, they stood by until the bull got back to his feet. Together, they walked back into the Tsavo wilderness.
One week later, the bull came by again, already healing. What we have learned from these moments is that elephants have an awe-inspiring intuition and capacity for trust in those who earn it. We are honoured that this bull came to us in his hour of need and thanks to our donors, we were able to answer the call, providing life-saving treatment on our very doorstep.
Elephants don't forget those that helped them. Donate and be part of a community they remember: https://t.co/NVpsbuFaAn
Bumpy hasn't been in our care long, but he has already bonded quickly with his Keepers, Festus and Jackson. He peeks above the water to watch their comings and goings and loves to nestle between their feet. A forehead scratch is always well received too, thank you very much.
In time, as with all the orphaned animals in our care, this dependence on his human caregivers for comfort will lessen. For now, while he's only just a month old, its vital to his progress.
Discover Bumpy's story with us and find out how you can adopt him: https://t.co/qAEjrv65WE
Why do our ex-orphans bring their wild-born calves home to the Keepers?
We can't know exactly what's in their heads. But after ex-orphan Yatta first made the pilgrimage many years ago, nearly every ex-orphan mother has followed suit, and walked her newborn to the stockades, often within hours of giving birth, and introduce the calf to the people who raised her.
It's likely a mix of trust (the Keepers were her family for years), safety (the stockade compound is calm and predictable), and recognition (these are the people she knows). Whether she's actively imprinting her calf with that knowledge or just following her own instinct to come home, the calf grows up understanding that our Keepers and the dependent orphans are a part of their family too.
Meet our newest wild-born calf, baby Moon: https://t.co/WjZQtajvUC
Exactly one month ago today, we rescued little Zuri from a septic tank. While sheโs settled marvellously into Nursery life, sheโs still quite feisty and prone to overreacting. Nannies like Muridjo (seen here) have been a wonderful balm, helping Zuri calm down when she gets in a bit of a tizzy. See her work her magic here!
If havenโt yet met Zuri, read her rescue story โ and perhaps become part of her journey through an adoption: https://t.co/RBNyett5B7
For animals without fur, mud is essential skincare.
A good coating seals moisture into the skin, blocks biting insects, and protects against the Kenyan sun. At our Kaluku Neonate Unit, orphan rhino Chamboi took his mud baths seriously as a baby, helped by his Keepers who gave him personalised pampering sessions.
Today, Chamboi is older and bigger, though his Keepers still shovel mud over his body as he reclines in his wallow. It's a treat for this growing bull who is gradually lessening his dependence on his carers, one mud bath at a time.
Discover Chamboi's rescue story and recovery journey: https://t.co/NW8OU4JJQa
One month after her rescue, Zuri is firmly part of the family.
When she wakes up each morning, Wamata knocks on her stable door. By the time the Keepers let her out, a queue of older girls has formed, waiting to take her out to the forest each morning. This show of love has been pivotal to Zuri's recovery: orphans rescued from wells or pits often have long grieving periods, and the acceptance from the herd from the get-go has helped lessen the psychological blow she suffered at such a young age.
Zuri is an abandoned elephant calf who we rescued from a septic tank. Adopting Zuri helps fund her milk, her Keepers, and her journey back to the wild: https://t.co/RBNyett5B7
When an elephant calf loses its mother, it loses everything โ its family, food, protection, an entire support system.
Thatโs where our Keepers step in: they gently rub moisturising coconut oil onto their delicate skin and scoop handfuls of mud and dust on their bodies. They even sleep with them at night, providing comfort just as their mothers would in the wild. For Wangalla, it's made the difference between life and death.
Adoptions help fund every minute of this dedicated care. Adopt Wangalla today: https://t.co/loS0hJV6JZ
There's something about Daba that's hard to put your finger on. Even Maxwell, our blind black rhino, seems to sense it. He'll make time for him when he stops by his boma and let his elephant friend rest his trunk on his head for a few minutes.
Perhaps it's his gentle face or calm energy. Either way, we aren't alone in recognising he's unique. And we are lucky to know him at all: Daba is alive today because our Canine Unit spotted him on a training exercise and tracked the lone orphaned bull through the wilderness.
Meet Daba: https://t.co/8vA9DbhJxd