Last year, we told the remarkable story of Barsilinga, the orphan elephant rescued by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Our “Being Barsilinga” series retold Barsilinga’s journey, from his rescue after being discovered next to his severely wounded mother (who had fallen victim to the illegal ivory trade), to his recovery and rehabilitation process back into the wild. Although we give back to different projects each year we never forget our previous projects and always like to keep you updated on our conservation partnerships, new and old. We were delighted to receive this letter from the SWT and some news on our friend Barsilinga, which put a smile on our faces during these challenging times…
“Barsilinga seems to have much more spring in his step lately which is really wonderful to see. The wound on the sole of his foot has finally healed over, though there is still some swelling, so the Keepers are maintaining a watchful eye for any sign of infection. However, Barsilinga is clearly feeling much more comfortable and is venturing further afield, often giving the Keepers the slip in the afternoons to branch off with some of the partially independent orphans, returning back to the stockades in his own good time in the evening, usually after ‘lights out’.” – Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
With an update on Barsilinga’s progress we also warmly received a general update from the Trust and heard how they have been faring, which we wanted to share with you...
“2020 presented many challenges for Kenya’s wildlife and yet the year ended on a high, with so many of the SWT’s wild-living elephant orphans returning to Ithumba and Voi with their babies in tow, including the latest addition to our extended family, Cheka, who we were introduced to in December. This tiny calf’s arrival has made 14-year-old Chyulu a mum for the first time and marks a milestone that she has been working towards for quite a while now, having played nanny to several of her friends’ calves these past few years. In return, Chyulu now has the support of the entire herd as she raises her little boy. For the Keepers who nurtured these orphans and helped them return to the wild, it has been such a period of joy to have their elephant family nearby in recent weeks, before the time comes for them to head off again into the wilderness of Tsavo where they are clearly thriving.
For all of us at the SWT, even those of us not there to witness these spectacles first-hand, seeing the images and videos of these ex-orphans congregating around the Reintegration Units and sharing their calves with the men who raised them – it makes the hard work (and isolation) over the past year feel all the more worthwhile and spurs us on to achieve more, with the help of our incredible supporters around the world. We are sure it’s the same for all of you at Love Brand, knowing that despite such a difficult year, you’ve still contributed to elephant conservation in such an incredibly valuable way, which we know has always been so central to your business.” – Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
