Murit is back.
After weeks away roaming the wild, Murit walked up to our Voi Reintegration Unit at first light, and he didn’t come alone. Mbegu, Tagwa and Godoma tagged along for the journey too.
Our once-tiny bull was found by herders at the bottom of a well. In the weeks that followed, he fought an infection from the well water he drank, and we weren’t sure he’d make it. But eventually he rounded the corner, helped by the friendships he formed with fellow orphans like Mbegu.
Now these friendships continue in the wild.
A massive part of the problem is that we have a bunch of politicians in government who live in their affluent ivory towers completely removed from the problems that they have created. Totally out of touch.
They tell us to turn off taps, switch off hosepipes, drink from bottles with tethered caps, turn the lights off and tell us to eat less red meat…but at the same time, allow huge AI data centres that deplete our natural resources. We are being conned by our own governments.
Meet Moon.
She’s our 93rd known grand calf. Her mum, Melia, lost her own mother when she was a baby, but she learned nurturing in our care. Now Melia is roaming wild and proving herself to be a very able mum of two, supported by her village of elephant friends and human guardians.
As for Moon, just days old here. The Keepers' word for her is curious – exploring trunks, exploring feet, exploring whatever's within reach. Right now she's working out the basics.
Meet Moon: https://t.co/WjZQtajvUC
@NiallHarbison Some days when I need a pick up I search for Niall’s posts. Niall has had his own terrible struggles -and still suffers from severe bouts of depression. Yet look at what he accomplished, day-in & day-out. He not only saves dogs but is a beacon of hope for all of us!
Legs crossed, eyes closed in bliss, Bondeni is in his happy place.
He’s earned himself a nickname: Our “Slow Drinker” takes at least twice as long as the other orphans to finish his milk bottles. So long, in fact, that there’s even a changing of the guard between Keepers looking after him. They have to be vigilant, as the other orphans tend to cluster round.
He’s seven years old so, soon, he’ll be weaned off milk as he prepares for his eventual life in the wild. Remind yourself of how far he’s come already:
https://t.co/jqyU7Vwqam
Look what’s been built in Cardiff for swifts. My niece sent me these photos and said the structure was alive with birds. Heartening to see. It’s shaped like a swift in flight I think. Other towns have created similar swift nest sites including Exeter. Thank you for caring.
Do elephants remember who was kind to them?
Yes – and across decades. Our ex-orphans return to the stockades long after they've gone wild, recognise specific Keepers by name, and bring their wild-born calves home to introduce them. They even come back for help.
Last month, Melia walked her new daughter Moon to our Ithumba Reintegration Unit – sixteen years after we rescued her. She came back so the people who raised her could meet her calf.
Bedtime for Bumpy! He approaches his room at a sprint, then - one little whir of the ears later - flops onto his mattress. A day spent cavorting in the water is tiring work, and our little hippo is more than ready for a good night’s sleep.
Bumpy is one of our newest arrivals. His mother died, likely in a territorial fight defending her baby’s life. He spent at least a day huddled by her body before the Kenya Wildlife Service rescued him and brought him into our care.
You can become part of Bumpy’s journey. Read his full rescue story and support him through an adoption: https://t.co/qAEjrv65WE