Rescued Orphaned Elephant Successfully Returns to the Wild Thanks to Loving Caretakers

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) in Kenya has the world’s most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program. Founded in 1977, DSWT has been a pioneer in wildlife conservation and has perfected the methods of rehabilitating orphaned elephants. They prepare these orphans with the skills they need to safely return to the wild and survive on their own.

One of their more recent success stories is that of the young orphaned elephant named Orwa.

Suspected to be an orphan as a result of poaching or human-wildlife conflict, baby Orwa was rescued by the DSWT team in Northwest Kenya in 2011, where he was found malnourished and covered in animal bites.

Considering his poor health, Orwa’s survival was a miracle. For the first several months at the sanctuary, Orwa was so traumatized he stayed by himself away from the rest of the herd. With the help of his doting caretakers and some antibiotics, his health improved and he gradually began to adapt to his new environment.

As Orwa adjusted to his new home, his sweet and gentle personality began to emerge, and he made friends with many of the other orphans at DSWT. Here he is seen playing a game of soccer with his pal Ishaq B.

In 2014, Orwa graduated to the Ithumba Reintegration Unit, where he would learn survival skills from wild elephants and other orphaned elephants who had returned to the wild. Here he is seen lovingly resting his trunk on the shoulder of one of his caretakers.

By early 2017, Orwa was showing signs he was ready to return to the wild, including attending “slumber parties” hosted by the wild members of the herd. By April 2017, he had enough confidence to fully return to the wild. Here Orwa is pictured with his two close buddies and herd members, Bongo and Vuria.

Although Orwa and his herd are successfully living independently, DSWT will still be there to protect them with their anti-poaching patrol unit. They also have an open door policy with the elephants for whenever they wish to visit their former home.

DSWT does incredible work for wildlife Conservation. If you are able, please consider making a donation to their organization to help become a part of their rescue and rehabilitation process.  f you have fallen in love with sweet Orwa, you can view his entire transformation here. Please remember to share this beautiful story with your friends and family!

All Image Source: David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust/Facebook