It’s not often that guests on a safari will participate in a mission around an elephant rescue. But then again; this is Africa.
It was early morning at Kenya’s Ol Donyo Lodge in the Chyulu Hills when two guests spotted an injured elephant bull walking near their lodge. He was a huge bull with towering white tusks, and it was clear that he had a spear wound in his hind leg. Poachers and farmers in the area are known to use spears to take down big elephants. They will spear the animal and wait days, weeks or even months for the animal to suffer and perish.
Rangers from the Big Life Foundation, a local conservation organisation, were aware of the injured bull and immediately notified the Kenya Wildlife Services vets.
While everybody waited, Big Life rangers monitored the bull to make sure he did not wander off and get lost in the thick Chyulu bush. A vet arrived on the scene that afternoon by helicopter and the team—including two interested guests from the lodge—went off to dart the big bull.
“The bull was quite relaxed,” said Shaun Mousley. “We could drive right up to him without much hassle, even after being darted he only moved off about 50 meters.”
About 12 minutes later, the Tusker fell to his knees under the anaesthetic, and the rangers had to tie him up to the vehicle on one side, and then with all their might, pulled him onto his right side.
The vets started work immediately after the bull fell to his side, where they found the wound on his back left rump. They pried around in the wound to see if any part of the spear was left in the animal, and thankfully they could not find anything, but there was still concern that the fresh gash would get infected.
The wound was cleaned out and then an anti-septic clay was applied to the wound to make sure that it healed up well.
After the antidote was injected, the mighty Tusker climbed back on his feet, and then a bit of drowsy stumbling, he was off. Rangers have since seen the Tusker wandering in the bush.
Thanks to the keen eyes of a few guests and the quick response of the veterinary unit, he will go on to fight another day. The successful elephant rescue was probably the highlight of the two guests Africa trip.
See more information on Ol Donyo Lodge.
