The following morning (25th June 2012) the Area Warden called us at The David Sheldrick Trust’s Elephant Nursery. A rescue plane was sourced and chartered from East African Air Charters at Wilson Airport, and equipped with all the necessary paraphernalia, two Keepers were soon airborne, bound for the Simba Farm bush airstrip where they landed at 11.45 a.m. Meanwhile, the little elephant was being escorted to the airstrip, accompanied by hordes of interested spectators, turning up at 12.20 p.m. He was fed formula milk and electrolytes by the Rescue Team and before being loaded into the plane, the Keepers addressed the assembled onlookers thanking them for not harming the little elephant, who was extremely trusting and too young to know fear. He had been orphaned as a result of what is known as Problem Animal Control, his elephant family having been driven out of what is now human settlement but which in earlier times had obviously been part of their natural range.

The tiny elephant arrived at the Nursery at 2.30 p.m. He was in good condition, sturdy and strong, the hind-side of his ears still petal pink, but the umbilicus already dry so he is estimated to be 3 weeks old, since the hind-side of the ears turn dark at 6 weeks. He has been named Lorian and he brings the number in our Nairobi Elephant Nursery to 21 joining tiny Barsilinga, Balguda and Kithaka as baby bull Nursery miniatures, part of a new and adoring Orphaned Elephant family.

Our ability to rescue and care for orphaned elephants like LORIAN, so that they might be afforded a second chance at life in the wild when grown, is reliant on contributions from a compassionate global public. Any amount you feel able to give today helps us provide for the orphans in our care and those other elephants in need of our help http://sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/html/help.html Thank you