Loijuk the elephant values her family beyond everything else, especially now that she is growing her own.

When the orphaned elephant was found all by herself at the age of barely 5 months, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) in Kenya intervened to save her.

She was manually raised by SWT until she was old enough to return to the wild. Loijuk’s relationship with her human family hasn’t changed despite the passage of time. She visits the grounds of the refuge once a month.

But when Loijuk showed up with an infant elephant calf, her prior caregivers were taken aback.
It was clear that the joyful mother elephant was eager to show off her child.

The newborn calf, eventually given the name Lili, was probably only a few hours old and had probably just been delivered the day before.

The kindness of those who helped Loijuk has never left her thoughts. She even allowed the chief keeper, Benjamin Kyalo, to have a special moment with her new foal.

Rob Brandford, executive director of SWT, told The Dodo that Benjamin was able to go close to Lili (who was curled up between his legs), brush her tender newborn skin, and breathe into her trunk, allowing her to recognize him by smell.

Our caretakers frequently breathe into the trunks of the orphan elephants so they can identify who they are since elephants have a phenomenal recall and sense of smell.

We are happy that Loijuk has returned close to home so that we can help supplement her nutrition when she visits because September is the height of the dry season in Tsavo, not the ideal time for a new baby.

In the wild, the herd’s female relatives help raise calves. Loijuk was a nanny before giving birth to Lili, and now her calf has two other wild orphans named Naserian and Ithumbah as nannies.

Lili knows there is a safe sanctuary she can always return to if she needs it, and she will live in the wild with her mother’s herd.

Lili is the 31st calf born to orphaned female elephants raised by SWT that are now thriving in the wild. She represents hope for all of the world’s threatened elephant populations.

Moments like these are significant, according to Brandford.’By preserving the life of one orphaned elephant, we are not only watching that orphan thrive, we are also helping that orphan form a family.’

Brandford continued, ‘We look forward to witnessing this little girl grow up in the wild. Lili has a brighter future ahead of her than many elephants.’