Elephant Nursery and Landscape Project - Zimbabwe
Giving orphaned elephants a second chance at a life back in the wildFrom orphaned calf to wild wanderer: Samson the elephant
From orphaned calf to wild wanderer: Samson the elephant
October 15, 2025
By Jos Danckwerts, Project Manager – Panda Masuie Release Site, and Simba Muphanwa, Technical Director
In 2020, a tiny calf named Samson faced the unthinkable—poachers shot his mother.
She died at a water hole, leaving her calf terrified and alone in the scorching sun. Too young to survive without her, Samson refused to leave her side. Without intervention, his life would end there, too.
Samson, an orphaned elephant, forages in Panda Masuie Forest, Zimbabwe. Photo: © Wild Is Life
But thanks to the swift action of ZimParks, with support from Wild is Life and IFAW, hope arrived. A rescue team led by myself (Jos) and Richard Raphael, alongside veterinarian Dr. Kudzai Mupondi, carefully darted the calf and prepared him for transport to Panda Masuie rewilding centre—a safe haven for orphaned elephants.
Even then, the calf’s immense strength was clear: bound for safety in the truck, he fought so fiercely that he bent the metal panels, earning him the name Samson.
Guided by a new family
The drama wasn’t over—once he arrived at Panda Masuie, Samson promptly broke free of his holding pen and bolted into the night. But we sent our best rescuers after him—the matriarch elephants, who instinctively tracked Samson down and guided him back to safety.
Safe and sound, Samson was embraced by a new family. Older females like Annabelle, Nkanyezi, and Nora nurtured him, while he played and explored with younger calves like Chipo, Moses, and Sizi. Under the watchful care of head handler Paradzai Mutize and his team, Samson grew even stronger and learned essential elephant survival skills, like how to forage.
Learning to be wild
By 2023, Samson took his first step back into the wild, joining a breeding herd. But months later—in what felt like a miracle—he reappeared at Panda Masuie’s gates, escorted by his fellow wild elephants. He was in clear distress—thin and injured with a puncture wound.
It was as if the wild elephants knew this was where he could get help.
The Panda Masuie herd gathers, with Samson among them. Photo: © Wild Is Life
Treated and restored by our team, Samson was given another chance at life in the wild. Today, he roams freely once more, exploring Zambezi National Park, Panda Masuie Forest, and the river corridors near Victoria Falls.
Rescue informs conservation
With a GPS collar fitted and his movements tracked through EarthRanger technology, Samson’s journey is teaching conservationists how elephants use these landscapes—and why protecting corridors between them is vital.
Samson’s GPS collar helps conservationists track his movements across landscapes. Photo: © Wild Is Life
Samson’s story is proof of the vision behind IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative, which seeks to secure and connect landscapes across Africa so elephants and other wildlife can move safely, thrive, and reclaim the wild. As a confident young bull, Samson now carries that vision on his broad shoulders—roaming rivers, forests, and grasslands as he was always meant to.
Every orphan at Panda Masuie bears a story of loss and hope. Some, like Samson, wear collars that map their movements. Others, like Mana, have been spotted by camera traps at forest pans. Together, they teach us that with care, patience, and connected landscapes, elephants can roam free and help us create a future where people and wildlife truly thrive together.
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