The journey to recovery for our Nursery orphans has been a heartwarming one.  Herewith some Then and Now images of Lesanju, Lempaute, Shimba, Sinya, and Dida, some of our young orphans presently in the Nursery.

Each has a distinctive personality and all are closely bonded to each other.  Lesanju never had time to be a baby, because soon after she arrived Lempaute came, a younger and smaller calf, and she immediately felt the maternal instincts to mother and nurture her tiny charge.  This set the tone, with more and needy babies arriving; her big heart had time and love for them all.  She is a very loving, nurturing and responsible little elephant, old for her years. 

Lempaute came to us as a tiny calf, very young and still pink behind the ears.  She and Lesnaju immediately became inseparable, with Lempaute unable to sleep if not by Lesanju's side.  She is an incredibly mischievous calf, with a desire to be the centre of attention at all times, with irresistible charm.

Sinya came to us wounded and emotionally scarred.  She was orphaned old enough to feel the loss of her family deeply.  Her first two months in the nursery were incredibly traumatic; with terrible wounds that took months to heal she suffered unimaginable physical pain as well as emotional grief.  Sinya has latched onto Lesanju and will not leave her side, but she has found love and warmth too from four other little calves that have suffered a similar fate, and of course the warmth and love of her human family now have made her road to recovery possible.  She is beginning to play and slowly slowly find happiness again.  She is a brave but needy little elephant, who has had a very tough beginning to life.

Dida, as a tiny one month old calf came to us with attitude.  Too young to really remember her elephant family well she took to nursery life quickly.  Lesanju keeps a watchful eye over the youngest of the group, with the other girls Lempaute and Sinya slowly warming to her, as they too still crave Lesanju's undiluted attention.  Sinya holds a very special place in Dida's heart, but the love and attention Dida showers on Sinya is not always reciprocated,  Sinya is too needy and attached to Lesanju herself to have the time to mother Dida.   Theirs will be a friendship that will blossom in the fullness of time as Sinya becomes steadily more confident and happier, and we are sure in Dida, her little shadow,  she will find a life long friend. 

Shimba holds the envious position of being the only male presently in the nursery group.  Quite unlike the neurotic girls, he is mellow and more preoccupied with food than pretty much anything else, and not much phases him.   He continues to consume his bottles of milk and all browse around him and as a result his tummy is huge.  With tiny legs and a barrel like stomach Shimba is very distinctive, loving, with a mellow disposition he adds an air of calm over the nursery group and is extremely tolerant of all those around him, both elephant and human.