In the early hours of 15th August 2024, a large elephant tusk was found in the heart of community land. Residents stumbled upon the ivory lying on the ground and reported their discovery to KWS.

The KWS Problem Animal Control Unit went to the scene and found a large tusk sitting in a pool of blood. It was a confusing situation; the tusk was whole, but there was no elephant to be found. Further muddying the waters, it was in the middle of the community, far from protected land. We didn’t know what an elephant was doing there, how he came to lose his tusk, and worse still, where he was now.

The following day, the SWT helicopter flew down to investigate the situation. Our pilot eventually found the bull on community land northwest of KARI Ranch, east of the Mombasa Road and the SGR railway. In other words, he was well and truly trapped: In order to get back to Nasaru Conservancy, KARI Ranch, and the Tsavo ecosystem, beyond, he would have to cross a highly trafficked highway and then a very busy rail line. The bull had miraculously avoided a collision getting onto community land in the first place, but we weren’t willing to tempt fate a second time.

The helicopter hovered to assess the bull’s condition. He looked unwell, listless and thin. Our pilot clocked a puncture injury beneath his right eye socket, which clearly had something to do with his lost tusk. The situation escalated later that day, when the bull knocked over a community member. He had to be moved to a more suitable environment — and fast.

KWS greenlit a translocation and we organised the operation for the following morning. Our low-loader crane truck drove to the scene, along with our SWT/KWS Anti-Poaching Team, SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit, and the KWS Problem Animal Control Unit.

As soon as Dr Limo darted the bull from the helicopter, teams moved in to load him onto the truck. Concurrently, the Vet Unit treated his face injury. They found that the injury was likely inflicted by another bull’s tusk in a fight. It went straight beneath the eye and punctured the base of his tusk, causing severe sepsis and rotting away the surrounding area, which caused the ivory to fall out.

In the course of the treatment, the team extracted fragments of bone, shards of ivory, and litres of pus, underscoring just how grave the infection was. Dr Limo is hopeful that the infection is now under control and that the bull will be able to make a complete recovery in the fullness of time.

With the tusk treated, it was time to bring the bull to safety. We were mindful that he was suffering with a major injury and sepsis, so we didn’t want him to be under anaesthesia for too long. KARI was the nearest secure landscape. This area, which is part of our Saving Habitats mandate, is ideal elephant territory and opens into the greater Tsavo Conservation Area. Protected by our field teams, with plenty of food and water, KARI would be a perfect place for the bull to convalesce and go forth.

In a slow procession, the truck drove its precious cargo south to KARI Ranch. As the sun started to sink below the horizon, the bull was revived in his new home. He walked into the sunset with better prospects than he began the day: protected, treated, and safe once more.

Given the severity of the bull’s injury, we are taking his recovery one day at a time. Our field and aerial teams continue to monitor his progress in the event that he needs a follow-up, which is highly likely. It has now been just over a week since his first treatment and translocation, and the bull looks to be doing well.

Your Support Saves Lives

Her story began in Korbesa, on the northeastern boundary of Meru National Park. It is a remote area with little infrastructure, ensconced in thick vegetation and anchored by a large well that was built many years ago. This well serves as the only water source in the vicinity and is used by humans, livestock, and wildlife alike. The KWS Korbesa Base sits on one side, the community on the other.

In the dead of night, on 23rd August 2023, KWS rangers heard elephants making a great commotion. At first light, they went to investigate. Their patrol ended at the Korbesa well — and much to their surprise, they found a tiny elephant calf staring at them from inside. Clearly, the calf had fallen in the night prior. While many modern wells are built with greater consideration, traditional wells can be a death trap for young elephants. Deep and steep, stout legs are unable to clamber to safety. This calf was young — a few days old, at most — and had no chance of getting out on her own.

The rangers jumped inside the well and hefted out the calf. As soon as she was on firm ground, they called the SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit to assess the calf as they monitored the situation. They kept her close to the well, hoping that her mother would return for her. Two hours passed, and no elephants were seen nor heard.

By the time the Vet Unit arrived, the little elephant was absolutely spent. She was suffering from acute exhaustion, but was also so stressed from her ordeal that she could not relax. Dr Aminga gave her fluids, glucose, and water, which had an immediate effect. Bolstered by fluids, she soon drifted into a deep slumber. The team laid her on a mattress, so she could rest comfortably.

The team waited in the area for two more hours in the hopes that the calf’s mother would return. When it became clear that a reunion was not on the cards, KWS called for a rescue. The SWT Caravan flew to Meru with a Keeper onboard. Meanwhile, the team drove with the elephant calf to Kinna airstrip, which took another hour by road.

Throughout it all, the little elephant remained fast asleep. She had exhausted every ounce of energy in the well and finally allowed herself to rest. In fact, the team had to wake her up when it was time to put her on the airplane!

Given her precarious age and the expected complications that come with well victims, the little orphan was brought to our Kaluku Neonate Nursery, where she would be under Angela Sheldrick’s watchful eye. The journey to Tsavo was uneventful. The calf was already hooked on her Keeper and spent the flight wedged between his legs. She curiously stared out the plane window, watching the landscape unfold beneath her.

We named the orphan Korbessa, to forever connect her to her origins. Korbessa was put into a stable next to Toto. Although Toto is 18 months her senior — effectively making him her ‘big brother’ — it immediately became clear who the boss was. In fact, we all became Korbessa’s subjects!

Right from the start, Korbessa established herself as the queen of Kaluku. Half bemused, half shocked, we found ourselves ruled by a tiny, bossy elephant who unequivocally ran the show and who demanded her Keepers’ undivided attention at all times. One of her favourite tricks was ‘jailbreaking’ Toto from his bedroom, ambling over to his stable door and deftly undoing the latch. Just to be sure Toto remembered who was in charge, she was equally fond of shutting him inside!

We assigned Joseph, a gifted young Keeper, to be Korbessa’s primary carer. Joseph, ably assisted by Jonas, Sammy, and Simon, have devoted countless hours to Korbessa’s care. Raising a neonate elephant is very, very tricky. Inevitably, they struggle — especially during the teething stage, which is notoriously fraught for orphans. Korbessa was not spared these challenges and lost a lot of condition as her molars came in.

But Korbessa is a fighter. You could see the resolve in her face, as she forged ahead even during her most precarious times, fuelled by her love for her Keepers. She started eating greens at a very young age — even before she had teeth, she muddled them around in her mouth — which was an enormous help. In fact, Korbessa was so defensive of her greens that she refused to let any of the other orphans approach a bush, tree, or branch that she deemed hers.

Korbessa is absolutely obsessed with her bedroom. It is easy to understand why: Her Keepers have turned it into a palace fit for a queen. The radio is often playing (Korbessa is a big fan of Kenyan musicians), with fresh greens hanging in place and a soft mattress just waiting to become a little elephant’s throne.

Even as youngsters, female orphans tend to be quite businesslike. But Korbessa is an affectionate little extrovert. She adores her Keepers and wants to be attached at the hip. When they are sitting down, she tries to plant herself in their laps. When they are sleeping in their bunks, she tugs at their mosquito net with her trunk. Should a Keeper leave her sight, she greets his return with deep purrs of excitement, as if it has been weeks — not minutes — since she last saw him. Korbessa is also eager to make new friends and embraces everyone she meets with her whole heart.

Joseph calls Korbessa his ‘little frog'. While she is not green in colour, she is such a fan of eating greens that she may as well be! Like her amphibious cousins, she loves water. Mud, puddles, water troughs — it is all fair game for our little frog. But perhaps her most frog-like quality is the way she plops down on her belly, front legs splayed out. It is not a position usually preferred by elephants, but Korbessa is no ordinary elephant.

It is a rare privilege to be part of an elephant’s journey from the very beginning. Korbessa was only a few days old when fate left her orphaned, but now she has her entire life ahead of her. Only time will tell her future — again, we predict she will become a matriarch in the fullness of time — but we will be there to support her, look after her, and love her every step of the way.

Become Part of Korbessa's Journey

Elephant conservation is not the work of a moment, but a monumental, multi-generational commitment. With health and luck on its side, an elephant can live well into its sixties or even seventies. When we look upon a newly rescued orphan, we must remember that we are seeing a creature whose own offspring will walk this earth a century or more into the future.

It is incumbent upon us to build a sustainable future for the elephants of today and the generations who will follow in their footsteps. The stakes are high: Following decades of population decline, African elephants have now been classified as endangered species. Assessments show that the number of African savanna elephants decreased by at least 60 percent over the last 50 years.

Humans may pose the single greatest threat to elephants, but we can also be the architects of their future. Across Kenya and around the world, we are inspired to see how people are taking action for elephants.

We currently have over 100 orphaned elephants dependent on our care, plus 200 more living wild. These elephants are alive today because ordinary people stepped up to save them. Each of our orphan’s stories begins with a hero — a ranger of a farmer, a guide or even a child — who raised the alarm and protected them from harm.

When an orphan arrives in our care, their new family steps in: The Keepers who will serve as their surrogate parents for the next several years, guiding them by day and sleeping alongside them by night. Untold hours, thousands of milk bottles, and boundless amounts of love are poured into each and every orphaned elephant.

These orphans will go on to reclaim their place in the wild, where they will have their own babies and grandbabies — creating dynasties in the process. All the while, their human family will be looking after them: The SWT pilots, rangers, veterinarians, and field teams who ensure they have a protected habitat to call home, and who give them help when they need it.

This monumental mission is made possible thanks to supporters like you, who fund our conservation work and ensure elephants always have a place on our planet.

As this beautiful film reminds us, the conservation work you empower matters. It has given generations of elephants a future — elephants who would never have survived, had we not stepped in. This includes not just the orphans we rescue and raise, but bulls treated by our vet teams, herds whose homes have been secured, families who have been reunited. With the support of donors like you, we are building a future for elephants across Kenya. Thank you.

Ways to support this World Elephant Day: