Rescuing baby Ndewa, the ‘beloved’ elephant orphan

Why was Ndewa alone?

Chikumbi village sits near the Zambezi River, opposite Zimbabwe and neighbouring Mozambique. Elephants frequently cross the river here.

GRI wrote 'It's possible that this young calf became separated from her herd during one of these crossings. However, poaching and human-wildlife conflict remain a consistent threat in Rufunsa Game Management Area.'

Poaching is a big problem in border regions because criminals can kill elephants for their ivory before escaping into a neighbouring country. Tragically, when mothers die, their calves have very little chance of survival-especially if they're still dependent on milk.

'This is the 17th elephant orphan we have rescued from this area,' GRI added.

One of those orphans, named Chikumbi for the village that found both her and Ndewa, was rescued last year, just days after the Lusaka Elephant Nursery first opened. She became one of the first elephants to welcome Ndewa to the nursery.

The long road to recovery

Ndewa is at the very beginning of a long road. In the wild, elephants usually rely on their mothers until they are sixteen. Orphaned elephants need to learn not only survival skills but social skills as well.

That's why, on average, it takes twelve years to rescue and rehabilitate an orphaned elephant.

'Ndewa's survival will only be possible with specialized nutrition and non-stop supervision and care,' GRI wrote. 'She will certainly need a lot of love to pull through as she has suffered significant emotional trauma in abandonment, as well as being significantly physically compromised through starvation.'

Fortunately, she is finding all those essentials with the dedicated team at Lusaka Elephant Nursery.

Hope with every bottle

Just a few days after her rescue, Shonagh Massie from GRI sent an update to IFAW, saying: 'Ndewa is doing surprisingly well so far, given her terrible condition. She is learning to use a bottle and starting to associate the keepers with comfort. She is sleeping well, which shows she is relaxing into her new environment, although the keepers often have to help her back onto her feet as she is still very weak.

'But with every bottle, we are given a little more hope.'

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