A three-month-old baby elephant was res.cued after being discovered wandering alone in Mozambique’s Maputo Special Reserve. The little infant has been stabilized and is now awaiting the required approvals to be transferred to a specialized care facility in South Africa, where it will eventually be released back into the wild.
This incredible res.cue tale is possible owing to the cooperation of a number of persons and organizations named at the conclusion of this post, but the ailing elephant’s fate is now in the hands of the authorities, who must issue the appropriate papers. Drs. Carlos Lopes Pereira (ANAC) and Michelle Henley (Elephants Alive) are negotiating import permissions with South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs.
Members of the Muvucuza Community in Maputo Special Reserve were the first on the scene, alerting rangers to the newborn elephant walking about alone. These community people deserve particular recognition and appreciation, for, without their help, the young elephant would have di.e.d.
A team led by Mozambique’s National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), Saving the Survivors, Dyck Advisory Group, and Peace Parks Foundation rapidly responded (PPF).
The calf was found to be quite weak and hungry, and it had been left alone for roughly three days. Saving the Survivors veterinarian Dr. Joo Almeida claimed the situation was “touch and go” for several hours. Although fluids were promptly supplied intravenously, specialized fresh milk had to be airlifted in from South Africa.
The newborn elephant is gradually gaining strength, and its chances of survival are improving. The young elephant is presently receiving plenty of water as well as two-hour bottle feedings. She has started passing feces and is sleeping frequently, which are both positive indicators.
According to a PPF technical adviser working in Maputo Special Reserve, elephants seldom abandon their young, and the kid may have been unwell for some time. Working together to safeguard the species in this reserve, he says, is important to preserving its biodiversity.
Maputo Special Reserve is quickly becoming one of Mozambique’s top tourist sites, which will considerably boost local life chances. Dyck Advisory Group, Blue Sky Society, Elephants Alive, Elephant Coast Company, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, Saving the Survivors, and Peace Parks Foundation all contributed to the res.cue mission.
