In August 2008, a skeletal calf arrived in our care in a state of collapse, skin hanging from her bones, cheeks sunken and gaunt, little life left in her eyes. She'd been without her mother for five days and became increasingly desperate, eventually wandering into the community for help. She was so far gone, our Keepers were convinced she wouldn't survive the flight to Nairobi but they never gave up on her. Plied with drips, glucose water and carefully managed rehydration salts, we slowly brought Suguta back to life. We then raised her through our Orphans’ Project, making the same promise to her we make all the orphans in our care: to return them to the wild when ready. Today, Suguta is a shining example of why it all matters: this month, she proudly strode back home to reveal a new chapter in her story: motherhood! At her feet was a perfectly plump, bright-eyed baby boy we have named Sullivan. Both mum and baby live wild, but together, we are keeping them safe and protected. You can help support transformations like Suguta's too. A donation can fund milk and comforting Keeper care to give new rescues on the brink of death a second chance: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/d…

A high-stakes rescue set against a ticking clock: A tiny calf had fallen into a water trough and was stuck inside. Her mother stood by, helpless and absolutely distraught. We've seen too many times in these situations that a mother elephant will only wait around for so long before abandoning a hopeless situation. There wasn't much to do but dive right in — quite literally. We drove our vehicle as close as possible to the trough, providing us with both a speedy exit and a barrier between the protective and agitated mother. While we didn’t want to drive her too far away, we needed a safe space to work — and at about 90 kilograms, the calf was hardly a light lift. We honked and revved the engine to give ourselves time and distance, then raced into the trough. As soon as the mother clocked our movement, she came racing back with a vengeance. The vehicle was on the receiving end of several charges, while our team managed to dive out of reach. It took multiple attempts, but we finally pulled the baby to safety. Once she was on solid ground, it was time to step back and wait. Mum swooped in, inspected her calf, and satisfied that she was unharmed, ushered her back into the wilderness. When tragedy strikes, we rescue orphaned elephants who have lost their mothers — but wherever possible, our primary mission is to keep wild families together. To see this realised today, despite all the challenges our team faced, was deeply rewarding. Discover how you can support our conservation work: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org