Tsavo, Kenya – This is the story of Weka, the elephant calf who has become a powerful symbol of resilience amidst a devastating drought. On the vast, red, dry earth of Tsavo East National Park, Weka lay alone, thin and frail, her shallow breaths barely registering in the scorching air. Separated and rejected by her herd, her every attempt to find life-sustaining water and food had become futile.
Isolation had almost claimed Weka’s life, as dehydration and malnutrition pushed her tiny body to the very limit of survival.
But salvation came from above. A pilot from the Aerial Patrol Unit, surveying the drought-stricken region, spotted Weka’s small figure. The pilot observed her, heartbroken as Weka made desperate attempts to join other elephant groups at a nearby waterhole, only to be repeatedly rejected.
Without hesitation, the pilot raised the urgent alarm. Within moments, the SWT/KWS Buchuma Anti-Poaching Team and Elephant Keepers were deployed. These rescuers, in their green uniforms against the backdrop of the red earth, were indeed the “green angels” arriving to save Weka.
They approached the frightened calf, gently calmed her, and loaded her onto a vehicle bound for a nearby airstrip. From there, Weka was airlifted to the Nursery. Under the devoted care of the keepers, Weka began her recovery journey.
Despite being named Weka (meaning “lonely” in Kamba), the calf quickly found comfort and inseparable friendship with two other orphaned calves, Muwingu and Kitich. From a fading life on the parched red ground, Weka is now gaining strength, has a positive appetite, and thrives within her bonded group—a vibrant testament to the incredible will to live shared by these magnificent creatures, and the compassion of their protectors.
