From orphaned calf to wild wanderer: Samson the elephant

The drama wasn't over-once he arrived at Panda Masuie, Samson promptly broke free of his holding pen and bolted into the night. But we sent our best rescuers after him-the matriarch elephants, who instinctively tracked Samson down and guided him back to safety.

Safe and sound, Samson was embraced by a new family. Older females like Annabelle, Nkanyezi, and Nora nurtured him, while he played and explored with younger calves like Chipo, Moses, and Sizi. Under the watchful care of head handler Paradzai Mutize and his team, Samson grew even stronger and learned essential elephant survival skills, like how to forage.