Rescued after being stuck in a well and attacked by hyenas, he was left with only a third of his trunk, but that’s never stopped him – on the contrary!
Against all the odds, Long’uro is thriving, and he’s adapted to life as a special-needs elephant in such clever ways. With every milestone reached, he is showing us, his peers, and his followers all over the world that there is no limit to what he can do! Day after day, he is changing how we think about conservation and animal behaviour.
Vets from Kenya Wildlife Service and Reteti rushed to the scene – and at the time, the poor little elephant was bleeding profusely and struggling to breathe. Its condition was dire, and the team had to consider euthanasia to free him from his agony.
In less than 24 hours, Keeper Mary Lengees had established a powerful bond with Long’uro. Mary is one of the first women keepers at Reteti, and with her endless patience and wealth of experience in caring for baby elephants, she enveloped him with a soothing presence.
Because of Mary’s care and love, Long’uro never fell into depression, as baby elephants who had been deeply traumatised often do.
In the beginning, when his brain hadn’t adjusted to his trunk no longer being there yet, Long’uro kept bumping into things – or he’d reach up to scratch where his trunk had once been. It was heartbreaking to see, because even the smallest impact would cause him to shriek with pain.
As the months went by, Mary dedicated her entire existence to Long’uro – caring for him like a son. Mary’s nurturing, as well as the community’s commitment, have been integral to Long’uro’s story of survival and hope.
While all logic suggested it’s not possible for an elephant calf who’d been stuck in a well, separated from its herd, and brutally attacked by hyenas to survive – the community at Reteti in Northern Kenya disagreed.
Shortly after Long’uro arrived at Reteti, the veterinarian team from Kenya Wildlife Services prepared for Long’uro’s surgery. The veterinary surgeon carefully cleaned his wounds, removed loose and torn skin, and neatly closed the wounds and gashes on his short trunk.
In the days following the operation, Mary kept the wounds clean and the veterinarian would visit regularly to check on his progress.
Thinking back now, we realise it was a miracle that Long’uro never got a bacterial infection, given all the wounds on his trunk, face, and ears.
Shortly after Long’uro’s arrival, three other baby elephants joined the nursery: Lomunyak, Bule, and Sera. The four quickly became the best of friends.
They provided each other with a much-needed sense of safety and support, which helped to heal both their physical and mental scars. This was especially true for Long’uro and Lomunyak – who nearly drowned after surviving a lion attack! Our little baby was starting to show his boisterous, joyful side – and it was such a delight watching him having fun.
Long’uro – as well as Lomunyak and Sera – were also the first orphans at Reteti to start drinking our unique and highly nutritious goat milk formula. The milk, which is sourced locally from Samburu women through our Milk to Market Program, had a significant impact on their rehabilitation, and along with the rest of the herd, they still drink it to this day!
It was sad to see how Long’uro kept forgetting that he didn’t have a trunk anymore, and continued to bump his nose against things ALL the time! We all tried to figure out the best thing to do, but in the end, it was Long’uro himself who weathered this – and so many other storms – all by himself. His unrivalled resilience in his fight for survival pulled him through, and we knew he would figure all of this out!
Photo by Simon Pocock
LonguroRescue