Eliot, a young African elephant, had a difficult beginning after his parents’ herd was struck by lightning, leaving him orphaned. Thankfully, this brave baby was rescued on Christmas Day and taken under the care of a sanctuary when he was only three days old. Despite the trauma, Eliot found comfort in the company of two older elephants – Kadiki and Beatrix. These two friendly playmates have also experienced the pain of losing their families and narrowly escaping death. Kadiki survived a lion attack when she was just one day old, while Beatrix was rescued after getting trapped in a gully. Together, the trio has found solace in each other and continues to grow and heal at the sanctuary.
The photo displays three elephants: Beatrix, Kadiki and Eliot. Eliot being the youngest among the group. These elephants are orphans.
Similar to Eliot, his newly found friends Kadiki and Beatrix, who are three and one years old respectively, have also lost their parents and had a close brush with death.
After being rescued on Christmas Day at just three days old, Eliot found comfort in the company of two older elephants at a sanctuary. Kadiki, who acted as a mother figure to another young elephant named Beatrix, now shows her affection to Eliot by wrapping her trunk around him. The three elephants reside at the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery near Harare, where they receive care from the animal charity Wild is Life. According to Roxy Danckwerts, founder of Wild is Life, the emotional connection between elephants is strong and extraordinary. Once the three are strong enough, they will be moved to a reserve near Victoria Falls to join a wild herd and remain safe from poachers.