rescuing an orphaned elephant in Zimbabwe: a success story of animals and people working together to better our planet

I was in the car returning from meetings in Harare when I received an urgent call from Roxy, the founder of Wild is Life and Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN).

"You need to get here immediately. There’s an elephant in need of rescue at Mara Pools in the north. The plane is on the tarmac and it’s ready to take off.”

This is what it’s all about. Recognizing the intrinsic value of individual animals and being ready at a moment’s notice to save them. We rushed to the airstrip and within five minutes, I was boarding the plane for departure. Wildlife vet Mark Lombard and the team explained the situation: a female elephant calf was spotted wandering alone in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. Her mother had died earlier from unknown causes likely linked to current drought conditions. Without a herd to care for her, the seven-month-old orphan urgently needed to be rescued.

Upon arrival, ZimParks rangers and a local safari operator met us with a land rover. With nightfall and stormy weather quickly approaching, our team was up against a tight timeline to perform the rescue operation. We were given one hour to locate the elephant calf, sedate her, and drive her back to the plane for the flight to ZEN. It was a race against the clock — but we were determined to save her.

Within twenty minutes of searching, we spotted the calf. She was collapsed on the ground under a tree, in dire need of our help. If we had not arrived at that moment, she could have easily fallen prey to a hyena or lion.

As we approached the calf on foot, she stood up and began to move anxiously. With the help of additional rangers, we carefully sedated the calf and lowered her to the ground. From there, we loaded her onto the back of the land rover and raced to the plane.

Our team provided intensive monitoring to the calf during the one and half hour flight back to Harare. Vet Lombard and Animal Welfare Assistant Catharine Jennings continually checked her vital signs, while I administered oxygen and covered her in blankets. 

Once the plane landed, we boarded her into the IFAW/ZEN truck and headed to the nursery. Our vets took X-rays of her legs and checked her body for any serious injuries. After determining that she was in good health, it was time to reverse her anesthesia.

Within seconds of receiving the antidote, the calf was on her feet and dashing around the stable. Her eyes were wide and her ears were flapping fiercely. She was frightened and in need of comfort — not from humans, but from her own kind.

Moyo, the six-year-old elephant matriarch of the nursery, was eager to meet the new calf. She moved across the corridor and reached her head over the stable to comfort the newcomer. Moyo gently sniffed and caressed her body with her trunk. In a single moment, the calf was calmed. She was among the familiar and knew she was safe.

Watching the calf interact with Moyo was an extraordinary moment. Elephants are intelligent animals, capable of feeling and expressing powerful emotions. To truly thrive, they need the support of other elephants. Moyo will be instrumental in the new calf’s journey back to the wild, and so will the ZEN keepers, who provide around the clock care. The calf’s story is one of people and animals thriving together.

My wife Nadia and I were later given the opportunity to name the little calf. After careful consideration, we chose the beloved name "Amira", which means "princess" in Arabic. Amira is embarking on the first steps of her rehabilitation journey, yet she already carries immense potential. As we know to be true, one individual animal can make a difference — for populations, landscapes, and conservation. Once released into the wild, she has the opportunity to rejoin a herd, and from there, the possibilities of success are endless. Amira could foster a new generation of elephants, one that enhances Zimbabwe’s local elephant populations. In her lifetime, she could strengthen the health of her species at large and better secure their vital survival into our future.

-Azzedine Downes, IFAW CEO and President