The following is information on the Elephant Orphan named: IRIMA  (foster now)

Latest Updates on IRIMA:

• 5/11/2010 - Emily and Irima's operations
• 11/7/2009 - Emily and Edie Save their Newborn Calves
• 4/26/2008 - Update on the Voi Unit Orphans
• 7/15/2007 - Ndume visits again after a long absence
• 5/12/2004 - Naserian's Rescue
• 10/15/2003 - A truely lovely story, ' Edo' and 'Ndume' bring home little 'Irima'

View to Location map for IRIMA (opens a new window)

Most Recent Keeper's Diary Entry: (view all the latest entries for IRIMA)

3/18/2013 - It was a very happy day, because all the Ex Orphans turned up at the Stockades early. Front-runners Irima and Mweya went instantly to quench their thirst before being joined by Emily and the rest of the Ex Orphans. The greeting between them and the Juniors was exuberant. Whilst Lesanju enjoys the company of the Ex Orphans, she does not want to loose any members of her group to them, and is eager to round them up and head out ahead of the others with Emily and the Ex Orphans following later. Out in the field the two groups merged and browsed together happily, Icholta and Thoma continually walking around checking on all the Juniors, touching them lovingly with their trunks. Morani and Shimba struck up a close friendship remaining close as they fed, and when Emily led her herd off heading westwards, Morani remained behind with Shimba and Icholta with the others. At 11 a.m. as the milk dependent orphans moved to the milk venue and Lesanju led the older orphans to the waterhole, Icholta and Morani peeled off, heading west in the direction taken by Emily, while Shimba went to join his peers at the wallow.

The Two Latest Photos of IRIMA: (view gallery of pictures for IRIMA)

Irima photo taken on 11/19/2003

ORPHAN PROFILE FOR: IRIMA (foster now)

Zoom / Enlarge On 8th October 2003, at around 2 pm, a KWS Assistant Warden, two Rangers and a driver arrived at the Elephant Night Stockades in Voi seeking assistance. They reported a young elephant seen by Tour Drivers wondering alone, and in an emaciated condition, near The Voi Safari Lodge. Four of our Keepers joined the group and set off to the area. After about 30 minutes they spotted the abandoned elephant and cautiously walked towards it but the elephant kept its distance. Its age was estimated to be two years old and it was seen to be a male. At first they tried to steer the direction of the weak calf towards the elephant Stockades, in order to be able to get assistance to be able to overpower and capture it, but the elephant refused to head in that direction. The Keepers then made an attempt at capture, but even in its emaciated state, they were overpowered and the elephant forced its way through the electric fence surrounding the lodge compound. Once within the Staff Compound, the group again tried to surround the calf, but it escaped the dragnet. The group continued following, hoping to be able to seize any opportunity of being able to capture it, something that continued until 6 pm when additional Keepers were able to provide reinforcement, once our orphans had returned for the night. However, the little elephant kept on dodging its captors until 7.30 pm when the group managed to finally over power him. Having carefully secured the elephant with ropes, they walked him to the vehicle and with the help of numerous staff managed to load him onto the trailer. It was 9 p.m. at night when the elephant was off loaded from the trailer at the Night Stockades and joined the other orphans inside. He was given re-hydration salts, and was named “Irima”, the name of the hill near to where he was found. The presence of the other orphans instantly reassured and comforted this lonely calf, who was, indeed, fortunate not to have fallen victim to the pride of lions that habitually frequents the lodge waterhole. He became very calm and responded well to the welcoming gestures of all the other orphans. Before long they were all feeding together and he had happily integrated into the older elephant group. Obviously, he had lost his lactating mother, and would most certainly have died had help not arrived.

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