Over the years we have become accustomed to 2 events that always seem to happen on a Sunday.  One is that all the Trust’s land line phones go out of order and the other is that if an elephant rescue is needed, it always seem to happen on a Sunday.  The 26^th July was therefore not a surprise because both happened that day.

Stefano Cheli of Cheli and Peacock Safaris came to the Turst’s noon mudbath to alert us that a baby elephant, (believed to be yet another poaching victim) had been seen on Loisaba Ranch in Laikipia the previous evening (25^th ).  The Ranch Manager Tom Silvester set out to try and locate the calf on the morning of the 26^th.  It was found at ‘boma Tano” (the 5^th cattle holding area on the ranch), and was a baby female of only about 2 and half months of age.  Since Tom was unable to reach us via the landlines he had alerted Stefano Cheli that an elephant rescue was needed.  Too young to know fear, the baby was trusting of humans from the start, and instantly captured the hearts of the Ranch staff and the Managers children. They asked that she be named “Tano”.

Baby Tano was flown to the Nursery that afternoon, given milk and elephant plasma and settled in instantly.  By month end she was doing well and became the 23^rd ele baby in the Nursery.