Michelle Silverman

Big sister Mwana leading little sister Mwezi! We wondered how Mwana would react to the arrival of her new sibling. Although she is now three and a half, she seemed to think she was still a small baby who deserved to be treated as such. We worried she was in for a rude awakening. But Mwana has really risen to the occasion. She’s still smarting over nursing, as Murera had been trying to wean her for months and now the matter is settled for her, but overall she has embraced her little sister. Here, she confidently leads Mwezi to the mud bath and then watches over her while she enjoys a mini wallow! In case you missed the news: last Thursday, Murera gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. It was a seamless delivery, and mum, baby and big sister are all doing great. Full story here: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/n…

Do elephants remember who was kind to them? Yes – and for many years. We've come to know a great many wild bulls who have visited regularly since our Ithumba Unit was established. They come because, over the years, they've learned it's safe. The clearest proof is a bull we call Dad, a handsome tusker who has fathered at least two of our wild-born calves. Back in 2015, Dad arrived carrying wounds from a poisoned arrow, and he’d brought two injured companions with him. It’s not hard to conclude he led them to Ithumba because he understood they’d be helped there. All three were treated and recovered. It remains a great privilege each time a wild elephant takes sanctuary around Ithumba, and each visit reaffirms the bond of trust we share with them. Have you had the privilege of seeing an elephant in the wild? If so, how did it change the way you see them?

Word travels fast in the forest. Baby Mwezi’s first day out with the Umani herd was a great success! Murera gave birth in the middle of the night, tucked up in her stockade, but word still got out quickly in Kibwezi Forest. So quickly that, come dawn, all the wild-living orphans were waiting to meet her. In case you missed yesterday’s news: bathed in the light of a near-full moon, Murera gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She chose to deliver in her stockade, the place that has been her night-time sanctuary all these years. The whole thing was seamless, and mother and baby are both marvellous. More to come, but we wanted to share Mwezi’s first moments with you. (Her name means ‘moon’ in Swahili!) In the meantime, reacquaint yourself with Murera’s miraculous story: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…