Update 20 October 2015: "Zuva is still not very well, but we are making some progress. Each day is a miracle at the moment and every step forward is cherished. We will continue to keep you posted." - Wild is Life Trust and ZEN Facebook page
A newborn elephant has been taken in by the team at Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN) after local park rangers found the distressed calf wandering alone, miles from the nearest water supply, in southern Zimbabwe’s Save Valley. The calf, estimated to be less than a week old, barely had enough energy to stand and was still recovering from a wound formed where his umbilical cord had detached.
According to staff at the wildlife sanctuary, extremely dry conditions and a severe heatwave may explain why the calf was separated from his herd. “We believe he was too exhausted and weak to keep up with his family who were in desperate need of water,” ZEN wrote in a Facebook post. “After efforts to locate the herd failed, the local operators took him to a safe place away from lions and hyenas and informed ZEN.”
However, the young male elephant is not out of danger yet. Nicknamed Zuva (which means "sun" or "light" in a local dialect), he's still very vulnerable and has a tough fight ahead to a full recovery. The good news is that Zuva is being monitored around the clock by ZEN staff who are doing everything they can to save the newborn.
“Little Zuva is doing much better today, but it’s been a very tough challenge thus far!” Roxy Danckwerts, the founder of ZEN, told us via email. “We have confirmed via the blood work that this little elephant did not receive colostrum. We therefore have to be incredibly vigilant with him and stop any infection in its tracks. He remains in high care with the attendance of two people, 24 hours per day. Our prognosis is still guarded, but we are doing everything that we can to save this little chap.”
Cute
Cute
Animal Behaviour
