On January 4, rangers and wildlife caretakers at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust woke up to devastating news: Their coworker, Kirsty van Zeller — who had helped care for orphaned elephants for over a decade — had passed away after a three-year battle with cancer.
That same day would soon prove to be life-changing for a baby elephant in grave danger.
Kirsty van Zeller. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Three days prior, the conservation organization had received reports of an elephant calf who was roaming alone, limping from a severe poaching injury.
Footage from the Kenya Wildlife Service confirmed that she had a snare tightly wound around her front left leg. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s helicopter pilots launched into action, leading an aerial-and-ground search effort for the calf, but coming up empty day after day.
After a “fruitless” three-day search, rangers began to grow hopeless.
Coincidentally, the morning after Van Zeller passed away, the elephant was finally spotted and restrained by two rangers, Taru and Roan.
“This was no small feat: She was about two years old, completely wild and propelled by adrenaline,” the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust stated on its website.
As Taru held her, Roan cut the rope snare away.
“This was when the full extent of her injury became clear: The snare had sliced through an artery,” the nonprofit recounted. “It had been acting like a tourniquet, and once removed, the wound started spouting blood.”
As they waited for help to arrive, Roan managed to pinch the artery closed while Taru held her still. Soon, wildlife veterinarian Dr. Lawi arrived on the scene to sedate her.
“First, he had to clamp and fold the affected artery before suturing it firmly closed,” the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust explained. “This effectively stopped the bleeding.”
From there, the calf — who they named Lamuu — was airlifted to a nursery near the Tsavo East National Park in Kenya.
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
For months, Lamuu’s wound was monitored closely as she settled into her new home with other orphaned animals.
“Given her age and the ordeal she had been through, we expected Lamuu to be very wary of people,” the nonprofit explained. “However, she just seemed relieved to be helped and in safe hands. She took to her keepers right away, accepting a milk bottle and approaching them with a friendly, outstretched trunk.”
Lekoli, a senior keeper at the nursery, was put in charge of Lamuu’s day-to-day care.
“Lamuu soon became extremely attached to him, padding quietly behind him like a shadow. During the initial weeks when she was on ‘bed rest’ in her stockade, she was a model patient, proffering her injured leg to Lekoli for daily cleanings and green clay treatments.”
Shortly after Lamuu was rescued, another orphan arrived at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Kaluku Unit.
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
“Like Lamuu, Subi came to us with serious injuries — she had been speared in the shoulder and found abandoned and alone,” the organization stated. “Given their shared experiences and the fact that they were recuperating in stockades close to each other, these girls became instant best friends, supporting each other through their respective healing journeys.”
“As the weeks passed and their wounds improved, their world expanded from bed rest to small jaunts around the compound, before they finally joined the rest of the Kaluku herd out in the bush.”
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
For the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Lamuu’s heart-pounding rescue will always be tied to Van Zeller’s passing — and the caring legacy she left behind.
“Lamuu stands out as one of our most dramatic orphan rescues in recent history. Severely injured by a snare, finding her was an odyssey in itself,” the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust said.
“We feel sure that a guardian angel was watching over this little elephant, making sure she ended up in safe hands — a guardian who has been very present throughout her remarkable recovery, too. In our minds, Lamuu is inextricably linked to Kirsty forever.”
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Featured Image: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
