Unseen Footage of Four Month Old Albino Elephant, Khanyisa & Her Blue Eyes

Unseen footage of Khanyisa when she first arrived at HERD! We don't believe we've shared the full clip of this moment... but correct us if we're wrong... #KhanyisaGoingOnTwo

Here, after a visit from Dr Rogers, a very young, still 4 month old Khanyisa spends time inside her nursery with her carers, dedicated and always gentle and patient, Herman and Adine (in front of the camera for a change). She is a little dozy following her rescue and her severe state after being trapped in the snare that orphaned her. But those light blue albino eyes from her early days shine beautifully.

As we look back at Khanyisa's estimated 2 years of life, we are sharing her moments and milestones - including those that shed light on the challenges facing victims of human-elephant conflict. We hope to celebrate the amazing journey a baby elephant goes through as it grows and changes in this very early stage of development, but also the difficult path of an orphan - from rescue to rehabilitation to integration.

Watching and being a witness to Khanyisa's whole road to recovery, from such a young and fragile age has given us all so much insight into and knowledge about the elephant species, and particularly albino elephants and orphan calves.

We will be looking at Khanyisa's wounds first, starting with this video, showing her only a few days after arriving in January 2020 at HERD for her rehabilitation. The most significant part of her rehabilitation process was the successful treatment of her wounds, thanks to the incredible work of Wildlife Vet, Dr. Peter Rogers.

Having survived several days on her own in the wild, Khanyisa was severely injured from a snare that had wrapped itself around her head, severing the top lobe of her left ear and causing severe lacerations around her head, neck, mouth and cheeks. The four-month-old calf somehow freed the snare from the ground, but it remained wrapped around her, continually rubbing and cutting into her flesh.

It’s unclear if her herd had abandoned the albino calf before she was ensnared or after the incident. The fact that she survived so long in the wild is a miracle; she was dehydrated, and her eyes had swollen shut from pressure building from the snare and the swelling around her head. The trauma she experienced, although not visually evident, will no doubt cut much deeper than the physical pain she endured.

Khanyisa's journey began close to the herd in our orphanage nursery, with her dedicated carers and companion sheep, Lammie, by her side, giving her round-the-clock care, support and attention. The same team (of elephants, humans and sheep) are still beside her today, offering her the security of a loyal family that she needs.

HERD relies on funding to cover our operational costs as well as the high costs of Khanyisa's care, support and protection, as well as the rescued Jabulani herd. If you would like to help, please visit our website to find out more: https://herd.org.za/donation/