Another Nursery Baby lost - one more tiny grave in the Park forest behind the Elephant Stockades at our Nairobi Elephant Nursery - yet more sadness and desperation, but another page that must be turned on another day in order to focus on the living, as do the elephants themselves. With the situation as it is at this point in time, there will be many others coming in and in need of help.

2 - 3 month old baby "Maralal" was rescued by local tribesmen and KWS Officers from the Karisia forest on Easter Monday (9th April, 2012) near the town of Maralal. She was another well victim whose mother and Elephant family had to walk away when humans brought their cattle in to drink. As such this baby was vulnerable from the start, not only due to the threat of pneumonia, but also because she was in the midst of cutting her first molars, which is always a problematical time when deprived of mother's milk. Suffering from the shock and grief of losing her elephant mother and family, she had ingested mud and dirty well water into her fragile infant stomach that had been without her mother's milk for far too long, (since baby elephants suckle their mother little and often) so her digestive system was in turmoil.

Upon arrival her stools were muddy and too loose, and whilst she fed well initially, she was unable to cope with the sudden change of milk and lost condition literally before our very eyes. Diarrheoa then sapped the last of her reserves despite an oral antibiotic, and having been put on drip life support. She rallied briefly after an infusion of Dextrose and Saline, and even begged for more milk, which left us hopeful that she may have turned the corner, but instead she succumbed and died at first light the next day (24th April 2012) having been with us for just two weeks.

Baby "Maralal" was adored by both her human foster family, and all her Nursery elephant peers.