A lone Elephant Calf of approximately 2 years old had first been seen by the Community of Mgeno Ranch (abutting Tsavo National Park) on the l8th July 2012. The Trust’s Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit was alerted and our Voi Keepers immediately went to the site to try and rescue the calf. Darkness fell without them being able to locate the baby, and so they returned back to Voi empty handed. They did leave instructions with the Ranch staff to contact them immediately should they sight the calf again. On the 20th July the calf reappeared, still alone and emaciated and quite obviously an orphan, extremely lucky to have not fallen prey to predators. She is most certainly a poaching victim as incidents of poaching within the adjacent ranches to Tsavo National Park have been very bad in recent months.

The Trust’s Voi Rescue Team along with KWS were alerted a second time. The calf, a female of about 2 years old, very thin and weak and almost in a state of collapse by the time the rescuers arrived was literally on her last legs by the time they arrived. Upon arrival at the Voi Stockades to was helped to her feet and she took rehydration and later milk. She was given the name Panda to identify the specific place from whence she was rescued, a raised region of the Ranch known by that name. It was decided that Panda would remain at Voi and be raised there due to her age, and in light of the bonds she's already forged with the older Voi orphans who have have imparted much love and comfort towards Panda. For Panda the Voi area remains familiar, not too far from where she was living a wild life, and she is once again united by a loving elephant family, to Voi Orphans who understand what she has been through and who will look to heal her emotional scars. With each passing day she grows stronger.

Soon after her arrival at the Voi stockades, there was another Elephant Rescue called for, also from Tsavo, of a yearling calf subsequently named Bomani so on this day our Voi Keepers certainly had their hands full. Credit to them for doing a wonderful job, and to all those whose actions helped save these two precious lives.