Rescued orphan elephant Bondeni has been busy mastering how to hold his own milk bottle. Of course, there’s quite a learning curve involved. So, until he perfects this impressive new skill, his carers at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust stand by to lend a helping hand when needed, which, at this point, is often. While he has yet to get through a bottle without dropping it, Bondeni seems remarkably proud of his progress so far, which makes us very happy to see. To receive the same nourishment as he would in the wild, Keepers prepare copious quantities of freshly mixed, warm formula milk every three hours. This ensures Bondeni can grow happy and healthy and supplements the grass, bark, and leaves he eats in the forest throughout the day. While our Keepers hand-feed the orphans using bottles, as they grow older and stronger, many prefer to hold the bottle and feed themselves – a skill that is entirely self-taught. Bondeni has clearly been watching his older adoptive brothers and sisters, there are 15 other orphans being cared for at the Trust’s Nairobi Nursery alongside Bondeni, but he’s not yet got the strength to hold even a half-full bottle without dropping it, despite his best efforts. Bondeni is in the care of the Trust because he was orphaned as a new-born elephant and was found when he wandered alone into a community. He was so young he still had petal pink ears and his poor feet had been badly cut from walking along lava fields. Without help, he wouldn’t have survived so the Sheldrick Trust rescued him and brought him into their care. But, if his first days of life were characterized by adversity and heartache, we’re pleased to say he’s been shown nothing but love and kindness ever since. Starting with a cozy ride to safety in the back of the SWT helicopter, Bondeni was given veterinary attention for his sore feet and dedicated Keeper care 24 hours a day. In this safe and nurturing environment, he blossomed into a playful individual who loves to play non-stop games and a penchant for chasing the warthogs that live in the forest. Like all orphans to come into the care of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the Trust is hand-raising Bondeni so that he can one day return to the wild in protected conservation areas. Over 160 orphans have successfully been rescued, raised, and reintegrated back into the wild and one day, when he’s older, Bondeni will join them.
