Mokogodo was rescued in February 2023, after Samburu tribesmen found a tiny calf wandering on the fringes of the Mukogodo Forest. The little elephant who arrived on Valentine’s Eve immediately became the Nursery’s collective valentine, capturing all our hearts with her sweet and whimsical ways.

Mokogodo was only four months old at the time of her rescue, so we braced ourselves for difficult times ahead. Neonates are notoriously fragile and tricky to raise. However, much to our surprise, Mokogodo sailed through her first year. She was plump and energetic, a picture of elephant health.

Earlier this year, Mokogodo’s health started to dip. This in and of itself was not cause for panic; an orphan’s condition often ebbs and flows as they navigate their fragile infancy. We consulted with our trusted veterinarians and proceeded with caution: With infant orphans, one must be very careful, as the smallest disruption can have fatal consequences.

Mokogodo was not yet two, which put her firmly in the milk-dependent category. However, as time passed, it became clear that she had an intolerance for milk. We tried several different formulas, but each one was as problematic for her as the last. The vets concluded that Mokogodo was suffering from an insidious case of malabsorption, a digestive disorder that prevents the body from effectively absorbing nutrients from food.

Our hope was that we would be able to eke Mokogodo through the precarious milk-dependent phase. We knew that we had an uphill battle on our hands, but there was cause for cautious optimism. Mokogodo’s condition reached a stasis; not exactly improving, but not getting worse. The cases of past orphans who overcame similarly serious cases of malabsorption — Kamili and Kindani stand out as two recent examples — gave us hope.

But to our utter heartbreak, Mokogodo’s body was unable to carry her through this phase. She declined steadily in the past week. Despite the round-the-clock efforts of her Keepers, Nairobi’s best veterinarians, and the unwavering support of her Nursery herd, hers was a battle we were unable to win. Mokogodo passed peacefully in her stable, surrounded by her loving Keepers.

We salute Mokogodo’s Keepers, who put in a heroic effort to save her. Everyone at the Nursery was utterly committed to their little charge. Mokogodo was never alone, even for a minute. By day, her Keepers shepherded her through the forest, hand-picking the very best greens for her to eat, swaddling her in cosy blankets, and treating her to her beloved tummy and ear rubs. She spent nights tucked in her warm stable, with a favourite Keeper bunked alongside her.

We also salute Mokogodo, who tried her very best to fight the insidious issue inside her. Beneath her docile, sweet exterior was a surprisingly steely elephant. She knew that she needed nutrition and ate every meal lovingly prepared by her Keepers. Sometimes, she would even get wily in her quest for more milk — tiny trunk raised and mouth wide open, pretending that she had not yet been fed! No one could resist Mokogodo’s demands.

It might be tempting to paint Mokogodo in a tragic light. And while there is the great tragedy of a little elephant taken far, far before her time, her life was defined by love and happiness. Every morning, rain or shine, she awoke to a gang of elephants clustered outside her bedroom, each one jostling for the privilege to escort her into the forest for the day. Mokogodo was very aware that she was the uncontested favourite of the Nursery herd and relished being at the centre of everyone’s universe.

Our memories of Mokogodo will be happy ones: Latika shepherding Mokogodo step-by-step across a rainwater stream, aware of her dislike of water. Kerrio and Sileita sandwiching Mokogodo, their sturdy bodies all but enveloping the blue blanket-clad baby between them. Mokogodo and Taroha — her self-appointed big brother — going about their days in tandem, as if linked by an invisible string. The mini matriarchs staging a protest outside Mokogodo’s room on the rare rainy morning when she enjoyed a lie-in. Mokogodo confidently leading her gang of blanket babies into the forest ahead of the others (much to the chagrin of their nannies!) or cheekily making a bid for the older elephants' milk bottles.

These are the memories we will hold dear to us, as we wade through this shattering loss. We hope you take comfort from them, too.

We feel blessed to have been part of this special elephant’s life. Mokogodo left us richer for knowing her. Now, we are just passing the baton: Mokogodo has gone to Daphne and all the others who watch over us in the great beyond. The stars shine a little brighter tonight.