Yatta's Story
A female calf estimated to have been born towards the end of September 1999 and just one-month-old when rescued. This little calf was a poaching victim, her mother found dead (less her tusks) in the Tsavo/Athi triangle of Tsavo East National Park, below the Yatta Plateau.
The calf's bellowing was heard by a labour gang working nearby, who went to investigate and came upon her not far the her dead mother. They walked across the Mtito tributary, loaded her onto the back of an old Landrover and drove her across the crocodile infested Athi river to the nearest Airfield at Tsavo Safari Camp, from whence she was flown to Nairobi.
A female calf estimated to have been born towards the end of September 1999 and just one-month-old when rescued. This little calf was a poaching victim, her mother found dead (less her tusks) in the Tsavo/Athi triangle of Tsavo East National Park, below the Yatta Plateau.
The calf's bellowing was heard by a labour gang working nearby, who went to investigate and came upon her not far the her dead mother. They walked across the Mtito tributary, loaded her onto the back of an old Landrover and drove her across the crocodile infested Athi river to the nearest Airfield at Tsavo Safari Camp, from whence she was flown to Nairobi.
Current age
25 years old
Gender
Female
Rescued date
26 October 1999
Rescue location
Tsavo Ecosystem, Tsavo East NP
Date of birth (approximate)
26 September 1999
Reason orphaned
Poaching
Age at rescue
0 months old (approx)
Current location
Living Wild
Yatta's featured photos
Our digital adoption programme includes the following:
Personalised adoption certificate.
Monthly email update on your orphan and the project.
Monthly watercolour by Angela Sheldrick.
Access to special content; latest Keepers' Diaries, videos and photos
Give Yatta the gift of life by adopting today.
Yatta's Calves
Meet Yatta's wild born offspring.
Yetu was born just outside the Ithumba Stockades and was proudly introduced to our Keepers and dependent orphans when she was just hours old and still wobbly on her feet. Read more
In 2022, Yetu became a mother, to a little girl we named Yebu. In the photograph at the Ithumba water trough are Yetu, Yebo, and then Yogi, Yatta's thirdborn, and Yatta herself on the far right. Read the story of Yetu becoming a mum here
Yoyo was born on 7th October 2017, a month when we would welcome three new wild-born babies into the fold! As Yatta's second calf, Yoyo has a doting older sister and lots of nannies on hand to watch over him as he grows. Read more
A very special delivery arrived in Ithumba on the morning of 10th November 2021, after ex orphan Yatta gave birth to her third calf, a healthy boy we have named Yogi! Yogi is the fourth baby born in as many weeks to our now wild-living orphans, following in the footsteps of Kaia, Njema, and Noah. So Yogi is set to have plenty of playmates as he grows up, and he’ll certainly not lack for nannies, or supportive siblings in the form of big sister Yetu and big brother Yoyo. Read more
Yatta is now Ithumba's most prolific mother, bringing four babies (and a grandbaby) into the world. Hours after giving birth, the proud mum made a special visit to Ithumba to show off her latest addition to the people who raised her. We named her daughter Yara, which means 'small butterfly' in Arabic.
Latest updates featuring Yatta
Yatta's latest photos
Yatta
Yatta
Yatta arrives at the stockades
Yatta and Yogi
Yatta
Yoyo and Yatta
Yatta's family arrives at the stockade compound
Yatta and Yogi