How Kenyan rangers found and saved Pardamat, a baby elephant left alone after his mother was killed

# What happened On July 5, 2023, the body of a lactating female elephant was found in the Pardamat Conservation Area in southwestern Kenya. She had been speared to death in a human-wildlife conflict. Rangers and conservation staff did not immediately find her calf.

A week later a yearling calf was sighted in the same area. The calf attempted to enter a Maasai boma (fenced livestock enclosure), a behavior that suggested hunger and a search for milk. Rangers tracked the calf and left him with a nearby herd while monitoring the situation, hoping he might belong to another female.

The calf slipped out of sight and disappeared. On July 28 rangers received another sighting. This time there were no other elephants nearby and the calf was again trying to enter a Maasai boma. Rangers recognized him as the same young elephant and were able to restrain him and move him to a mobile veterinary unit for assessment.

The veterinary exam found the calf uninjured but severely hungry after nearly three weeks alone. Rangers and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust arranged transportation: the calf was loaded into a Land Cruiser and then flown to the Sheldrick nursery in Nairobi.

# Rescue and rehabilitation At the airstrip the keepers described Pardamat as alert but not overly stressed. He relaxed with the keepers, accepted a bottle, and calmed quickly. Staff named him Pardamat and brought him into the nursery program that specializes in orphaned and injured elephants.

Pardamat joined other orphans at the nursery, including Mokogodo, Taroha, Talek, and Ahmed. Edwin, the head elephant keeper, said Pardamat is a friend to all. He developed a particularly close relationship with Ahmed, a female orphan who had not shown maternal instincts until Pardamat arrived. The nursery reports Pardamat is happiest following keepers and playing with elephant companions, and that he is boisterous during milk feeds.

# Why this rescue mattered The case shows how rapid reporting and persistent fieldwork matter in human-wildlife conflict zones. The calf survived several weeks alone but reached a point of near-starvation. Swift intervention by rangers, a mobile vet team, and an organized transfer to a specialized nursery were decisive in saving him.

# Current status and behavior Pardamat has settled into the nursery routine. He bonds with keepers and other orphaned elephants and shows playful, mischievous behavior, especially during milk feeds. The staff report he will not be alone again, receiving both human and elephant company and ongoing care.

# Practical takeaway for conservation practitioners

• Rapid, coordinated response between rangers, veterinary teams, and conservation nurseries increases survival chances for orphaned calves.

• Social rehabilitation with other orphans and experienced keepers can compensate for early maternal loss and reduce stress that complicates recovery.