Mbegu

On 15th May 2014, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) heard the news about a tiny calf needing to be rescued from a community in Kimanjo, Kenya. It was a highly complicated situation as an elephant had just killed a woman from the community and had been shot as a result. The calf had been left behind and the angry community had set upon the baby in revenge spearing her several times. When she took refuge on the grounds of a nearby school the children began stoning her. Very swiftly a warden came to the calf’s rescue and kept her safe from the community who were baying for her blood in retaliation for recent events.

After a one-hour flight, the SWT rescue team arrived and were immediately taken to the calf. It was a heartbreaking scene for the rescue team to find the calf secured on the floor of a class, stressed, injured from the attacks, and extremely traumatised. She had experienced unimaginable trauma that day and was extremely lucky to still be alive. She responded to the tender loving care that she received from the rescue team and fed well - clearly dehydrated by
this time. 

After the short drive from the village back to the airstrip the team were able to safely load the tiny calf onto the rescue plane. It was a huge relief for all, including the pilot since it was getting so late, to finally have the calf safely on board and leaving behind a very hostile community.

At the orphanage near Nairobi, she was placed in a stable with her new Keeper Mishak. He decided to call her “seed” as she was so tiny - in Swahili seed is Mbegu and so the name stuck. It seemed like an enchanting name for a very sweet and beautiful baby, who escaped death by some miracle. Her wounds were cleaned and treated while many of the Nursery elephants sensed her arrival and began bellowing and this comforted Mbegu enormously hearing the
familiar elephant sounds. 

Mbegu settled extremely well and loves the other orphan elephants, but more than that she is hooked on her Keepers, never forgetting the love and tenderness they have shown her since the day of her rescue.

Photo courtesy: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust