Fresh in the new year, yet another drought had struck our region. On January 15th, 2023, we received a distress call regarding a young elephant in the Lolldaiga Hills, located north of Mount Kenya. This area had been severely affected by the ongoing drought. Although there had been meager rains in December, providing some relief, the landscape continued to suffer.

The calf had been observed alone for approximately a week and was clearly struggling. Despite being two years old and relatively large in size, he was still incredibly vulnerable. It was possible that he had lost his mother, either due to the drought or as a result of the interconnected conflicts between humans and wildlife. Alternatively, he might have become too weak to keep up with his herd and was subsequently abandoned. Unfortunately, this was a recurring theme we had witnessed far too often over the past year, where the youngest elephants were often the first to succumb during challenging times.

As we swiftly organized a rescue mission from Nairobi, the SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Mobile Vet Unit promptly arrived at the scene. It was a challenging operation. The calf was located a 30-minute drive away from the nearest airstrip, and his size made transportation difficult. Given his compromised condition, we were cautious about allowing him to remain in a recumbent state for an extended period.

 

 

In the end, everything unfolded like clockwork. The ground team managed to secure the calf and arrived at the airstrip just as the plane was landing. Without wasting a moment, our Keepers disembarked and secured the young chap onboard. We named him Loldaiga, to forever connect him to his homeland.

By late afternoon, Loldaiga had arrived in Nairobi. We had to tread carefully, giving him ample time to recover and become used to his new home. For several weeks, he recuperated inside the peace and security of his stockade. His presence garnered a lot of interest among the Nursery herd, who couldn’t wait to meet their new friend.

 

 

On 6th February, Loldaiga was finally ready to join the Nursery herd oᴜt in the forest. At noon, the Keepers shepherded the orphans up to his stockade, where they welcomed the young bull and escorted him oᴜt. For a long time, the others were too excited to browse, instead clustering around the newcomer. Loldaiga initially accepted their mothering, but then found it too overwhelming and ran off in search of a Keeper — with Kinyei, Kindani and Olorien in hot рᴜгѕᴜіt! In the weeks since, he has really settled into the routine and found his place among the Nursery herd.

 

Loldaiga’s Keepers report that he is a gentle, shy boy who is happiest when quietly sandwiched among fellow peace-loving orphans. At the moment, he is closest with Weka, Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich. Muwingu, who is his nighttime neighbour, and Weka have become particularly good friends. Given his lonely beginnings, it is special to see this young bull so surrounded by love.