The 3-month-old elephant calf was first spotted by a camp manager at the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) in Zimbabwe during the first week of July.
His right hind leg was severely swollen, leaving him in desperate need of medical attention. The camp manager took photos of the elephant and sent them to AWARE Trust Zimbabwe.
“These elephants roam the Greater Mapungubwe TFCA, into Tuli and Botswana, part of which is communal land,” Dr. Lisa Marabini, director of AWARE, told The Dodo. “I suspect the elephant picked up a snare set by a villager for the bushmeat trade.”
By the time the veterinarians were able to reach the watering hole where Keith, his mother and his herd had reportedly been gathering for two days in a row, it was too late – the injured elephant and his herd had disappeared.
“We realized the only safe and effective way we would get a chance to locate and dart the baby is with a helicopter,” AWARE wrote. “We figured that with his injury, the calf would be slow and the herd would not have ventured too far from the water point. We clearly underestimated his mobility, because after scouring the area for four and a half hours spread over two days in the helicopter, we could not find him.”
“His swollen foot was unmistakeable from the chopper as he sped along on three legs with his mother following,” AWARE wrote. Keith’s very protective mother, who never once left him, was tranquilized along with her calf for the safety of the team. Veterinarians were finally able to get a close look at the extent of his injury.
“Although he was thinner than he should be, from fighting the devastating injury, the calf was strong and was very stable under the anaesthetic,” AWARE wrote.
As it turns out, the snare was so deeply embedded into his leg that it had reached the very bone. An X-ray conducted on site showing damage done to his feet as well.
Despite the injury, Keith had a good blood supply still running through the foot. Rescuers say Keith has a good shot at recovery because of his youth. The vet team cleaned Keith’s wounds and gave him pain relief medication, in addition to long-lasting antibiotics.
Keith’s rescuers believe that he’ll be left with a deformed foot, but Keith has already demonstrated that he has no problem keeping up with his herd on three legs. More importantly, Keith will no longer have to endure the pain that plagued him for weeks, thanks to the veterinarians who refused to give up on saving him.
Keith just before he was woken up | AWARE Trust Zimbabwe