Long’uro: one elephant’s story of immense resilience

In early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, an extraordinary rescue unfolded in northern Kenya. Loud screams rang through the night in Loisaba Conservancy-an animal in agony. A distressed one-month-old elephant calf had fallen into a shallow well. He was bleeding profusely, with two-thirds of his trunk missing, believed to have been torn off in a hyena attack. Rangers alerted the Reteti team and the Kenya Wildlife Service, who immediately arranged an airlift with Tropic Air Safaris.

There were discussions about euthanizing Long'uro to spare him further suffering. However, the Reteti team believed he had a chance. KWS veterinarians performed surgery on the remaining portion of his trunk, carefully cleaning the wounds and removing torn tissue. Keepers monitored him closely as the wounds slowly healed.

"I remember when Long'uro arrived," recalls Mary Lengees, the keeper in charge of the nursery herd. "It was around 4.00 pm. We could see he was in a lot of pain. We tried to give him milk, but he refused until the following day at 6.00 pm."

Mary and her fellow keepers remained steadfast, providing the care and compassion these orphaned elephants need. Without their mothers, calves struggle to find milk and companionship. Mary spent the first nights beside Long'uro, singing softly so he could become familiar with her voice, scent, and touch. In time, he formed strong bonds with her and the other calves, which helped him recover from his trauma.