She’s going to make a full recovery
Baby Elephant Saved from Poacher’s Snare in Kenya
Last week in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park, a heartwarming rescue unfolded when a 1-year-old baby elephant was spotted walking beside her mother—with a cruel secret hidden in plain sight.
From a distance, the pair looked healthy. But a visitor noticed something odd: the calf’s trunk appeared cinched in the middle. A closer look revealed the awful truth—a poacher’s wire snare was tightly wound around the baby’s trunk.
Even the most protective mother couldn’t remove such a trap. Snares are designed to tighten the more the animal struggles, causing injury or even death.
Thankfully, the observer alerted the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), a conservation group working alongside the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). One of their mobile veterinary units was quickly dispatched to locate and help the injured calf.
“As she grew — and thus, her trunk grew in diameter — the snare would have continued to slice into it,” said Sean Michael, director of communications at SWT.
“Eventually, she could’ve lost part of her trunk, which puts an elephant at a severe disadvantage.”
Not only do injuries like this risk deadly infection, but they can also make it hard for young elephants to keep up with their herd.
A Careful, High-Stakes Operation
Later that day, the rescue team successfully located the calf and her mother in the park. To avoid stressing the herd, they gently guided the pair away—but treating the baby would still be risky.
“Elephant mums are very protective,” Michael noted. “It would be stressful and … dangerous to attempt to separate the pair for treatment.”
So, in a delicate move, both mother and calf were sedated.
With the baby elephant lying safely on the ground, the veterinary team removed the snare and cleaned the wound. Fortunately, although the cut was deeper than expected, the wire hadn’t been on long enough to cause permanent damage. She’s expected to make a full recovery.
When both elephants woke up, the calf seemed briefly disoriented—but quickly calmed when reunited with her mother. The two walked off together, the calf tucked close by her mom’s side as they rejoined their herd.
SWT shared the happy ending on social media:
“A little life saved. An elephant family kept whole.”
