Rescue of orphan elephant Dabassa | Sheldrick Trust

On 8th August the Galana Ranch staff noticed a young elephant calf amongst a herd of adult bulls, and as this is not normal they decided to monitor the calf closely over the coming days.

On 12th August the calf was sighted again by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Field Operations Officer and Pilot Richard Moller while on an Aerial Patrol. By this stage the calf had lost considerable condition and it was clear that without his mother he would die, because as a milk dependent calf he would not survive on his own in a wild condition, particularly as Galana Ranch right now is parched dry.

Richard reported his sighting to the KWS authorities and our Voi elephant Keepers who arrived on the scene, as an advanced party. We rallied an elephant rescued team at the orphanage in Nairobi and the rescue was on. Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/dabassa_rescue

Established in 1977, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) operates the world’s most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program, rescuing and hand-rearing orphaned elephants and other animals that have lost their mothers, all too often as a result of human activity. But we do much more than this. Through our Aerial, Anti-Poaching and Mobile Veterinary Units, we safeguard the natural environment and provide immediate assistance to wild animals in need. We also secure irreplaceable wilderness areas so that animals will always have space to roam and work with local partners and communities to ensure people and wildlife can live alongside one another.