Tsavo East Written by Joseph Sauni Head Keeper Voi Unit

On the 23rd January, after a successful day in the bush with the Voi Unit orphaned elephants, we received a call from KWS late in the evening to say that there was a small calf stuck in the mud near a leak in the Mombasa water Pipeline, which had caused a black cotton bog. The calf, which was about 2 weeks old, was hopelessly stuck and the family could not reach it without risking themselves. The Keepers plunged in, which at first elicited an angry response from the watching elephant family of 9, but they soon realised that we were there to help, and quietly watched proceedings. When the calf was pulled clear, it began to follow the Keepers and the car, but we accelerated, and this gave the elephant family a chance to come and collect their baby, which they did. The reunion was beautiful to watch as the whole herd celebrated and embraced the tiny calf back into their midst.