Moses' astonishing journey!

Very recently, on a golden evening, our release herd at panda Masuie were interested in something near the interaction zone. The handlers and rangers were not aware of any elephant herds in the vicinity, so they did not think much of it. However, an alert handler suddenly saw movement in the bush and was surprised to glimpse a very young elephant calf, all on his own. Immediately, the Team let out the resident herd to go and investigate. They stood back and observed an extraordinary story unfold.

Our herd moved quietly and gently towards the little calf, with calm and low frequency rumbles. Of course, the three big females, (Nora, Annabel and Nkanyezi) were first to the scene and immediately surrounded the calf, smelling and reassuring the baby. There were no wild elephants to be seen and this little calf was clearly alone. As only elephants can, they gathered up this little traumatised soul, without hesitation, and bought him carefully back to the Boma.

We have no idea what had happened to his mother, nor how he found the Boma. However, he must have known that it was a safe place to come to, for help. The area in which we are located is a huge, wild area, but there are predators of various species around, so it was a remarkable achievement for this little chap to have made it safely to ZEN.

Meanwhile, the herd were settling him inside the Boma, with everyone jostling for a sniff and a cuddle! He was offered cubes and browse which he guzzled down, after a long drink of water. He then lay down and slept. He was exhausted.

Jos and the Handlers named him “Moses”, after another baby orphan who was found in a basket on a river, according to biblical legend.

The following day, the Handlers were helped by the older elephants to get Moses to drink milk, which will be imperative for his survival at this age. Surprisingly, it only took 24 hours for him to start sucking milk from a bucket and taking cubes from the handlers. He went out with the herd, stayed close to them and did not want to run away. He knew he was safe.

We are still investigating what happened to his herd and most especially his mother. This is a very puzzling incident, but we are all in awe of the resilience and courage of Moses. Everyone is in love with him, elephants and humans!

Our congratulations to the Panda Masuie Team for their vigilance and dedication to the well being and care of Moses. Their innate knowledge of elephant society served the Team well.

Special thanks to Jos Danckwerts and Paradzai Mutize, as well as the handlers and rangers involved in this rescue.

Grateful thanks to our partners at IFAW, who encourage and support us, during the good times and the difficult!

If you would like to contribute to Moses future, as well as the other elephant orphans in our care, please visit: https://www.zimbabweelephantnursery.com/donate-now/

Видео Moses' astonishing journey! канала Wild is Life Trust Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery