On the 16th June Loisaba Ranch contacted the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to inform them an adult elephant had been found trapped in one of the wells on the ranch.  Given the distances involved and the need for a hasty response DSWT’s Sky Vet collected KWS vet Dr Bernard Rono and flew him to the site. Once the team arrived, they were able to ascertain that the elephant was a young bull around 18 years of age, and he had become severely lodged inside the concrete walls of a very small well.

With the assistance of the Loisaba maintenance team, KWS Rangers along with the DSWT’s Sky Vet team decided to try the conservative approach bringing sand and rocks collected by a digger and placed manually into the well to raise the ground level. It was soon evident that this approach was proving hopeful with the elephant able to struggle onto his side leaning on the outside of the well. Finally the elephant bull was eventually able to climb out by himself. Although there were superficial wounds to his legs, the bull was able to walk away without any further treatment required.