In northern Kenya, a baby elephant who fell into an underground tank and tried to use his trunk to investigate the ground above, was attacked by a hyena who chewed it off.
The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary Community United for Elephants received the report of the seriously injured and abandoned little calf after having been found in the underground tank on Kamogi ranch which neighbors the Loisaba Conservancy. The calf, only 1.5 months of age, had been crying out for his mother – both scared and in excruciating pain. Almost a third of his trunk had been eaten away by the hyena the previous night.
Veterinarians from the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Reteti rescue team administered life-saving treatment to control the excessive bleeding. The elephant’s trunk is used for nearly everything the animal does.
“… our little baby was left fighting for its life. Out of its struggle to breath, a discussion arose of a possibility of euthanasia. We could not allow it! ‘He fought well’ they say ‘from a small seed a mighty trunk may grow’. We are hopeful, and convinced he deserved the chance at life, after all he had already survived a hyena attack!
The calf was flown to Reteti and placed in a stable with other calfs. He was named Long’uro – which means something that has been cut, in the Maa language. The medical team cleaned up the damage and the little one became the tiny charge of an experienced foster human, Mary Lenges.
Long’uro quickly latched onto the nursing bottle designed for a baby elephant; he was hungry and desperate to be fed. Soon he started to play with the other baby elephants.
“We know Long’uro has a long journey ahead of him, more challenging than most, but he has already shown us his ability to adapt to a new deformity, he has shown us his willingness to trust and learn from the other keepers and orphaned elephants . We can’t help but feel he will teach us a huge amount about elephants and their kind spirit, their intricate herd structure and ability to look after each other. Long’uro is brave and strong and his life represents so much, to the community, to the keepers, his is a story of hope and we hope you too will join us in supporting him,” the sanctuary posted on their social media page.
It is hoped one day Long’uro can be released back into the wild.
To be a part of Long’uro’s story,please follow the link https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/reteti
Kenya Wildlife Service TuskConservation InternationalSan Diego ZooNorthern Rangelands Trust
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