December update from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Please find the foster parent monthly update summary below and attached watercolour, but this is just a brief outline of some of the events from this past month. To view the Keepers Diary, along with recent photographs and entries more specific to your fostered orphan please be sure to access the Keepers Diary link which can be found at the end of this update.
December 2006 will always remain a memorable month for Kenya, dominated by rain, rain and more rain, rendering the entire country awash, and disrupting well laid tourist travel plans countrywide. However, whilst excessive rainfall disrupted human activity, causing chaos, it has been a bonus and a blessing for wildlife, and particularly for Tsavo, which had previously suffered 3 rain deficient drought years. This, in an already arid semi-desert environment is always a recipe for additional hardship, particularly for elephants, who have an inefficient digestive system and require a great deal of varied browse on a daily basis to maintain condition.
The Nursery Unit
It follows that December 2006 has been party-time for our orphans, all of whom have enjoyed an unprecedented period of feasting, and especially for the Voi Group, who no longer had to travel far on a daily basis in order to fill their bellies. Brim-full waterholes have provided swimming pools,where all the Tsavo orphans, whether in Ithumba or Voi, can immerse themselves, with just the tips of their trunks protruding like periscopes. They have enjoyed playing in endless puddles, tobogganing down slippery slopes and romping around with each other in the mud and rolling around in dampened soil.. The only orphans who did not welcome the rain were the four Nursery miniatures, Shimba, Galdessa, Lesanju and Lempaute, who had to spend long periods incarcerated in their Night Quarters to prevent them from catching a chill and going down with the dreaded pneumonia. All have also been cutting their first molars, causing the usual stool related concerns, but by month end all are thriving, gaining weight, and are happily settled as an enchanting foursome who hang out together during the mornings, Lesanju taking on the Leadership role, but who spend quality time with the older Nursery inmates in the afternoons.
The main Nursery event during December was, of course, the arrival of 2 year old Kenze, and the subsequent intensive care needed to retrieve this new arrival from the jaws of death, followed by a long struggle to calm him down. He was airlifted to the Nairobi Nursery on the 7th, having been rescued in the late afternoon the previous day near a village abutting the Chyulu Hills of the same name. After being driven to the Voi Stockades for the night, he was airlifted to the Nursery the next morning.
We were shocked by the pitiful condition of this young bull. Every square inch of his body was literally plastered in ticks of every shape and size and he was emaciated to the point of death, obviously having been starved of milk for a very long time. He also had a suppurating wound on his penis which needed urgent attention. However, he was far too aggressive to handle, determined to settle a human related score for having been deprived of his elephant family, so there was nothing we could do until he collapsed, as we knew he would. Meanwhile, the Keepers in the Taming Stockade with him had to become pretty adept at climbing the escape platform to avoid being flattened!
The anticipated collapse occurred in the late afternoon, and only then could we begin to remove the ticks, clean the penis wound, and insert the life-saving Dextrose drip into an ear vein. We really didnt think he would even make the night, but he did, litre after litre of Dextrose and Saline slowly reviving him, while cooked Oatmeal and Coconut cakes mixed into a ball with milk were placed in his mouth by hand in an attempt to get some milk into his system. By noon the following day he regained full consciousness and with the help of 6 men, was lifted to his feet, after which he wobbled into a far corner, remaining vehemently anti-human. Fresh greens were brought to him, which he ate avidly, but almost two more days past before he condescended to take milk from a bottle offered through the bars of his Stockade. It took five more full days before we could risk letting Kenze out with the other Nursery elephants when Kamboyo seized the opportunity to try and assert dominance by shoving him around, something he will regret later when Kenze settles that score. Lenana, on the other hand, who has similarly suffered Kamboyos shoving, instantly befriended him, as did all the others, including Zurura, who has since become his best friend. By month end Kenze could rise from a sleeping position unaided, and every day that now passes, finds him a little better, and a little stronger. Now he tolerates the presence of the Keepers, (but does not seek it), and can be trusted around the mudbath visitors. Poor little Kenzes has been to hell and back, but obviously he has a very strong constitution and we are now quite confident that he will grow into a fine bull and that he will soon be able to join his peers within the Ithumba Unit.
Sian is proving a very competent mini Nursery Matriarch, becoming more assertive in a disciplinary role, especially when Kamboyo throws his weight around Lenana. Chyulu and Loijuk are very close, as are Kenze and Zurura, whilst Makena loves everyone in the Nursery, but especially Chyulu and the four tiny inmates. Amongst them, Galdessa and Shimba are best friends, as are Lempaute and Lesanju, Lesanju already displaying caring Matriarchal tendencies despite her tender age. Although misshapen, her ears have healed well, whilst the top of Lempautes one ear is folded permanently from early sun damage, as are the tops of both those of Kamboyos, damage done in early infancy when both were deprived of their mothers body under which to shelter during the heat of the day.
Meanwhile, our two rhinos, Shida and Magnum have also enjoyed a bumper month, which has seen both spending extended periods of time away from base. In fact, during December, Magnum appeared briefly just twice and Shida more frequently. For the rhinos, the one downside of a very wet season is the presence of biting flies which persecute them by day, and, of course, feisty wild rhinos who have more time challenging others territorially. Shida has had several bouts with a wild rhino who occupies a neighbouring territory.
The Ithumba Unit
The Ithumba Orphans have had a wonderful month, with food, mud and water a-plenty at every turn. A lone wild bull paid them a nocturnal visit on New Years Eve, obviously just to make contact and see them, there being no other reason to account for his presence. One late evening a lone bull (possibly the same one) was sufficiently bold to show himself to the tractor bringing in the night greens for the orphans, but sadly it was already too late to be able to take our orphans to where he was. Yatta, Kinna, Mulika and Nasalot followed the fresh trail of a wild herd that passed by on the 27th, but failed to make contact, easily diverted by all the other natural attractions all around them.
Two appearances by the dreaded wild dogs have again caused disruption. On the 4th, they turned up in pursuit of two dikdiks who ran right through the elephants as they were preparing to leave their Stockades in the morning. The babies fled in disarray to their Keepers, whilst Yatta, Kinna, Nasalot and Mulika stood their ground, and put on a spirited charge once the dogs were in full retreat. Then on the l9th, the four dogs appeared again, hoping for a drink at the Stockade trough, and once again caused confusion.
Just as we were all beginning to believe that Koras jaw had healed completely, the wound opened up again briefly to exude a small quantity of pus, but soon closed again, and has remained that way so far. Otherwise, aside from fun and games, the same close friendships endure at Ithumba little Orok being the special favourite of Nasalot, Selengai, Mulikas preferred calf and Ol Malo enjoying preferential treatment from the Matriarch, Yatta. Meanwhile the boys indulge in their usual pushing and shoving of one another to determine and reinforce their hierarchial rank and strength, while Sunyei and Wendi along with Naserian are the Junior Matriarchs, often leading a younger splinter group when the older elephants choose to go elsewhere. Challa and Rapsu are regular sparring partners, and Madiba focuses on his Nursery buddies, Buchuma and Ndomot.
The Voi Unit
Likewise the Voi Unit have had a festive, feasting month as the parched landscape regenerated, and fresh browse became readily available. Mountaineer Mwakaju continued to try and tempt them all up Mazinga Hill, and whilst most of the wild herds moved away from their dry weather haunts, released by distant waterholes that filled with rainwater, Uaso remained to entertain our Voi Unit. Throughout the month he has been an almost daily visitor. Whenever he appears, he automatically hijacks the Leadership role from Matriarch Natumi, who challenged him on one occasion, but was charmed when he simply lay down to make himself smaller and warded off her attempts to prod with a gentle hold by his powerful trunk. Eventually, she capitulated and viewed it not as a contest, but simply a game! On one occasion Uaso took all the orphans to the Northern side of Mazinga Hill where they were embraced by a large wild cow and her family (perhaps Eleanor?) who wanted to prevent their return in the evening. Half the group remained with her throughout the night, and the other half managed to meet up with their Keepers later on, but were intercepted en route to the Stockades by Emily, Aitong, Sweet Sally, Ilingwezi and Tsavo (known as Emilys group) who took them off elsewhere. Emily and Ilingwezi escorted them back to the Stockades at midnight, and the other group who spent their first night out returned the next day! Our Voi orphans have all now been weaned off milk, and are growing up!
The rains continued into the New Year, and simply knowing that all our elephants, in all three locations were having such a good time, and wanted for nothing, enhanced our own festive season. When rearing the elephant orphans, Peace of Mind is a rare gift!
Please find a link to the The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s December Keeper’s Diary should you want to keep abreast with your fostered elephant CHYULU
www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/monthly.asp?o=CHYULU&a…
Also you will find attached a water colour painted by Angela Sheldrick for you to print off and keep.
We thank you for your valued support.
Most Sincerely,
Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick D.B.E.
www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
Dame Daphne is God on earth for the babies.