Over the years, orphaned elephants and rhinos hand reared through our Orphans’ Project and living back in the wild have gone on to have their own wild born young, showing the difference rescuing just one orphan can have for the whole species.
To date, we know of 34 wild born elephant calves because their mothers, orphans living back in the wild, have chosen to share their new bundles of joy with us by returning to our Reintegration Units sometime after the birth. However, we are certain there are many more wild born babies, fathered by male orphans living back in the wild who have mated with female wild elephants. There is also a wild born rhino calf, in the shape of Sultan, a black rhino born into the Nairobi National Park rhino population. All are protected by our Anti-Poaching and Aerial Surveillance Projects, carried out in partnership with the KWS and funded by our global supporters.
A sampling:
Born to ex-orphan Wendi, this little girl was named Wiva after the weaver birds, who were busy building their nests in the acacia trees at the Ithumba Reintegration Unit on the very same day of Wiva’s birth. Wendi was so trusting of her former Keepers, allowing Head Keeper Benjamin to meet Wiva when she was just days old.
Wema is Wendi's second wild-born calf, born during the rainy season in Tsavo East National Park. A little girl, she has a protective older sister in the shape of Wiva, Wendi's first calf who was born in 2015, with whom she is pictured here.
Sultan is the first calf of wild living black rhino Solio, who was raised at our Nursery after being orphaned as an infant in 2010. Sultan was first sighted by the KWS Rhino Monitoring team on 5th September 2019, at just three days old, in Nairobi National Park and mum has been keeping him close ever since.
Mwitu is the first wild-born calf of Mweya, born in the height of the dry season. We first met Mwitu on 15th November, when Mweya and Edie - with her new calf Eco - travelled back to our Voi Reintegration Unit after the rains to share their new babies with their human family and the dependent Voi orphan herd. This photo is of Mwitu and Eco on morning of 18th November 2019.
There are many more examples of wonderful elephants and rhinos at the link. Pour yourself a cocktail, click over and enjoy some pictures, stories and videos of these beautiful creatures. Your blood pressure will go down immediately. If you're like me, you need that tonight.
