On September 20, 2018, rescuers from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) were on a routine patrol near the Tiva River in Kenya. As the rescuers flew over the river, they noticed a set of tracks belonging to an elephant calf. They didn’t see any other tracks near him, leading them to believe the young elephant had lost his mom.
The rescuers knew the baby elephant wouldn’t survive long on his own—predators would quickly target him. And so, the rescuers set out to save him.
The rescuers followed the elephant’s tracks down the river, hoping to spot him. They weren’t able to find him on the first day, but on the second day, they spotted him standing by the river. The baby elephant was nervous when the rescuers approached him, but he quickly relaxed. He seemed to realize the rescuers were there to help him.
The rescuers transported the baby elephant to DSWT’s wildlife sanctuary in Nairobi National Park. They decided to name him Mukkoka.
When Mukkoka arrived at the sanctuary, the keepers at the sanctuary brought him a bottle of milk. The hungry little elephant quickly drank all the milk, and he ate the treats the rescuers gave him. Slowly but surely, Mukkoka started getting his strength back.
Once Mukkoka was strong enough, he went to meet the other baby elephants at the sanctuary.
The other elephants were eager to meet their new friend. They stood outside his pen, waiting to get a glimpse of the new elephant. When the keepers led Mukkoka out of his pen, all of the elephants rushed forward.
The elephants surrounded Mukkoka. Then, they all wrapped their trunks around Mukkoka’s trunk. It was their way of welcoming him to their herd!
Mukkoka was so happy to join the other elephants. He followed them out into the bush, where they all played together.
“Once out in the bush, Mukkoka was showered in love and affection, particularly by Malkia, Tamiyoi, Sana Sana, and Malima,” DSWT said in a YouTube video.
Mukkoka adored being with his new herd, and they loved him just as much. The keepers also loved watching Mukkoka come out of his shell. On DSWT’s website, they shared an adorable story about Mukkoka and his new friend Dololo:
“Mukkoka and Dololo were very busy stealing branches through the partition between their stockades this afternoon. Dololo set the ball rolling when he started pulling Dololo’s branches and Mukkoka did the same in retaliation, and also so as not to miss out on his greens!”
Mukkoka has now been at the sanctuary for about two months, and he’s doing great.
Mukkoka has lots of friends, and he’s getting bigger and stronger every day. We’re sure Mukkoka misses his mother, but thankfully, he has found a herd who have helped fill the hole in his heart. If you want to learn more about Mukkoka, check out the video below.
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