The skinny baby elephant lay tiny in the middle of the dry plains, huddled next to its fallen mother. We all mourn the loss of any elephant, but it is especially heartbreaking to see a family of young elephants torn apart. The mother must have endured as long as she could to save her baby, but it was too late.

Such was the case with Choka’s mother.tourists reported a calf standing vigil beside his dead mother. He was located on the Ndara Plains, which was experiencing the worst of Tsavo’s extended dry season. Knowing there wasn’t a minute to spare if we were going to save his life, we hastily assembled a rescue. While the SWT helicopter flew to the scene, a team of Keepers from our Voi Reintegration Unit rushed to the calf’s side.

Dusk was falling, so we brought the baby directly to our nearby Voi Unit, where he was tucked into a cosy stable and given much-needed drips and milk. The older orphans were intrigued and delighted to have such a tiny guest spending the night! Bright and early the next morning, we loaded our precious cargo onto the SWT Caravan and flew him to Nairobi.

Only once he was at the Nursery did we appreciate how small Choka was — in fact, he dethroned Kerrio as the smallest member of the herd! As is often the case with starvation victims, worms had taken hold. This can be a death sentence for an infant elephant, so we had to tread carefully. However, Choka helped us by fighting to survive. Despite witnessing the tragedy of his mother’s demise, he still had a fierce will to live. He fed well, drank well, and determinedly forged ahead.

Choka’s name means “exhausted” in Swahili. He was rescued at a challenging time, as many elephants succumbed to desperately dry conditions. It feels all the more special that this lion-hearted little calf beat the odds and is so full of life today. Despite the personal loss he suffered, Choka has embraced his new family with gusto and can always be found at the heart of the Nursery herd.