Elephant Orphan Rescued in Feira, Zambia

The Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) have shared some great news from Zambia that a young elephant bull has been successfully rescued and is currently safe and recovering at the Lilayi EOP Nursery.

A few days ago the EOP team were asked to respond to an orphan alert in the Feira district in Lusaka. The Orphan had been seen eating crops on multiple occasions thus causing tension in the community.  A rescue team made up of EOP, Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and Specialist Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU) staff were deployed on Monday.

After tracking the elephant’s movements for the last few days the orphan was successfully located, rescued and transported back to the nursery late last night thanks to the hard work of the rescue team. This was a key rescue as the orphan is approximately 2 years old, meaning that he is still young enough to need milk to sustain himself adequately but big enough to be doing damage to farmland and difficult to catch

The young bull is doing well, eating browse well and drinking all bottles of rehydration fluid on offer which is a great sign! However the team are not getting complacent, as the orphan starts to feel safe and settle in the stable his adrenaline levels will drop and he will become increasingly vulnerable so the next 48 hours are crucial. With low night temperatures at this time of the year in Zambia the team will not leave his side.

The Wildlife Police Officers who assisted his capture have suggested the young bull be called ‘Kapelele’ which is the name of the area he was found and means “being strong”

A massive well done to the core rescue team:

Cassius – SAPU
Gift – EOP Head Keeper
Dr Innocent Ng’ombwa – DNPW
Rab – LEN Manager
Chiinza – EOP Community Outreach & Education Officer

More news and updates on Kapelele’s progress at Lilayi to follow in the coming days.

Click here to find out more about our work helping protect elephant orphans in Zambia

THE ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE PROJECT IS A PROJECT OF GAME RANGERS INTERNATIONAL, ESTABLISHED BY THE DAVID SHEPHERD WILDLIFE FOUNDATION, IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE AND INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE.