Baby ellie Phabeni is celebrating small victories after his rescue at the end of November. Now settling into his new herd nicely, he’s already gained weight and has a new playmate:
Hoedspruit, South Africa (09 January 2024) — Orphaned baby ellie Phabeni has made significant progress since his rescue in late November. As the young elephant navigates his youth guided by the heroes of HERD (Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development), he is also celebrating small victories. Two of the most important? A healthy weight and a new playmate.
In case you missed it, Phabeni was initially found in an unusual setting—the garden of a woman who lived near the Kruger National Park. After she realised that the little elephant in the garden appeared to be completely on his own, she set in motion all the stops to get Phabeni the help he needed; saving his life in the process from those who thought it better to put him down.
Phabeni soon found himself in his new home under the careful care of Dr Rogers, the all-star carers at HERD and Lammie the sheep. In less than two months, the ellie has made fantastic progress.
One of the biggest small victories in Phabeni’s progress is his weight gain. In the world of rescues (especially for orphaned wildlife) weight gain is hugely important as it signifies their health is on track. Take Khanyisa’s weight milestone of a tonne, or Mpho the rhino’s great growth.
Described as a feisty young bull, Phabeni didn’t make the journey to weight gain the easiest with his milk feeds. But, as the HERD team shares, “no one ever said parenting was easy.” Like a stubborn toddler, after enough time, Phabeni’s cooperation improved. His weight is now up and sitting at 136 kg.
Above and beyond a little more junk in his trunk, Phabeni also has a new playmate and companion to share his youth with.
While Lammie the sheep has served HERD well, the nurse’s more mature years are on the horizon. As such, Spotty the Sheep has been brought on board as Phabeni’s new nursery-mate, Grace buddy and fellow garden explorer.
Weight gain and a new buddy in the same era? Life continues to look up for Phabeni, and we’re here for every part of it.
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