Elephant Calf Rescue

Ol Lentille Conservancy Rangers on routine patrol on October 5 spotted a lone female elephant calf of estimated age 18 months. We searched for her mother but to no avail. Rangers were posted on 24 hour follow-and-observe duty. On October 6 a group of elephant approached the calf, and we thought she had been reunited with her family. Unfortunately the main herd moved off leaving the little one alone again. We informed Kenya Wildlife Service. Elephant calves need their mothers and are not properly weaned until up to 3 years of age.

This morning, October 7, we were phoned by Angela Sheldrick at the Sheldrick Trust Elephant Orphanage to ask us if we would like them to rescue the calf. We agreed with enthusiasm. The Sheldrick Trust does an amazing job with elephant orphans. At 3.10 pm the Sheldrick aircraft arrived at the Lentille airstrip with a team of experts led by Peter. We quickly drove them to the baby, and she was soon captured and calmly subdued.

She was loaded with a mattress on to our pickup truck, whizzed back to the airstrip and gently loaded and wrapped in warm blankets and a special “seat belt” at 4.20 pm. Total operation time 70 minutes!! The aircraft was airborne to Nairobi at 4.45 pm.

We have asked Sheldrick to name her Lentille, and on the phone Angela Sheldrick kindly agreed. All our friends and guests are welcome to visit Lentille at the orphanage between 11-12, or by appointment at 5pm.

Sheldrick Trust Team and Ol Lentille Staff and Rangers, well done! Good job.