A 2-week-old elephant calf, who witnessed the death of his entire family, has been taken under the wing of older elephants at a sanctuary in southern Africa. His carers are marveling at his recovery and are hoping he can eventually be released for a new life in the wild.
“Despite witnessing the death of his entire family, Elliot has shown resilience and courage, as well as a strong desire to live,” the charity said in a social media post.
WIL shared the story of the calf’s rescue on Facebook on Jan. 9, garnering over a thousand views.
“Meet Elliot, the latest precious elephant orphan to join the Wild is Life herd,” the team wrote. “Elliot spent the night at Panda Masuie [Elephant Release Project] where he was cared for and fed by our experienced team. Sizi, a veteran orphan, nine years old, who has spent much time in the wild already, took him under her wing and kept him safe that night.”
Early the following morning, veterinarian Dr. Mark Lombard and conservation director, Jos Danckwerts, from WIL’s Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN) in Harare, flew to Victoria Falls to meet the orphan and his rescuers. Back at ZEN, Elliot was “immediately fed a specialist milk formula and allowed to rest and settle.”
When the ZEN team discovered that Elliot had a voracious appetite but did not yet have teeth, they judged him to be only around 2 weeks old. The vulnerable youngster required round-the-clock care, part of which was kindly offered by another orphaned elephant, three-year-old Kadiki.
“Kadiki … is proving to be an exceptional foster mother! She is patient and immensely kind to this little feisty fellow,” the charity said.
Courtesy of Wild is Life Trust and ZEN