Saving the world’s largest land animal takes coordination, determination, and skill, mixed with a little bit of luck. When this bull was struck by a spear and an arrow, his story could have taken a tragic turn. But thanks to a fortuitous sighting on the ground, followed by eagle-eyed tracking from the sky and a rapidly organised treatment, this was but a dark chapter that culminated in a successful outcome.
Our Ithumba stockades have become a hub for Tsavo’s elephants of the north. They know it is a safe place to congregate and take water. While the Ithumba Keepers give these visitors the space they deserve, they closely monitor everyone’s comings and goings, on the lookout for any elephants who might be in need of help.
The initial sighting, at the Ithumba stockades
On the evening of 23rd February, Ithumba Head Keeper Benjamin noticed a bull with pus oozing out of a wound on his trunk. He took a photo and immediately reported it to our Kaluku Operations Room. It was too late to mobilise anything that night, but at first light, one of our fixed-wing pilots set out to find the bull.
Flying transects over the area, the pilot carefully observed any elephants below. About 4 kilometres from the stockades, he finally had a breakthrough. Amidst a group of 15 bulls, he spotted one with a telltale disturbance on his trunk. It was a remarkable sighting; at this point, the wound wasn’t oozing, but he was still able to discern the small entry point.
The next day, our pilot spotted the bull from the skies
Meanwhile, the SWT helicopter brought the SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit to the scene. After the pilot separated the bull from his herd, Dr Limo had a clear shot to anaesthetise the bull from the air. Once the dart landed, it was the ground team’s cue to move in. Two SWT/KWS Anti-Poaching Teams were on-site to shepherd the bull to an open area, where treatment could commence.
As it transpired, it was a two-part treatment. The bull had a small arrow wound on one side of his trunk, which was attended to first. However, he also had another, more serious spear wound on the other side of his trunk. Using straps attached to a Land Cruiser, the team carefully flipped the bull over in order to access the second injury. Much like the first, this was cleaned out and given a full course of antibiotics and anti inflammatories to aid healing.
The wound would have been invisible to most
With treatment complete, Dr Limo administered the anaesthetic reversal. Everyone watched on as the bull groggily got to his feet and walked off to find his friends. This was by no means a straightforward operation, but thanks to the vigilance and coordination of our teams, the bull was spotted and helped in time. Dr Limo is confident that he will make a speedy and complete recovery.
Given the nature of the injuries — an arrow and a spear — we suspect that the bull got caught up in human-wildlife conflict. This is a complex, growing challenge, as habitats shrink and competition over resources intensifies. In collaboration with our partners and local communities, we are working to forge a more sustainable future for animals and the people who live alongside them. For the creatures who get caught in the crosshairs, we are also there to offer a lifeline.