Baby Elephant, Phabeni Takes A Brave New Step into the Bigger Garden!

Little by little, that's how progress happens. Little by little, that's how you raise a baby elephant orphan. Phabeni has come a long way since he was first rescued and brought to HERD. He has accepted the help of his human carers and come to know Lammie as more than a target to chase. He took to milk bottles well at first but then his appetite and bowel movements changed. He skipped some milk feeds and had loose stools. Adine has been busily tweaking the formula so that it is both tasty for Phabeni and full of the right and adequate nutrition.

Finally, we got him to take the bottle again. His stools have been harder, which is an excellent development, but the little elephant has had some bloating which can cause discomfort.

After spending time getting used to the private garden in the quarantine nursery, Phabeni was invited into the bigger garden, which is bordered by the homestead and wilderness. It took the calf some time to take the first step out of his comfort zone and once he did, well, it was time for a nap! It’s exhausting being this courageous!

We are careful to take Phabeni's development slowly to ensure that he is not stressed. Elephant calves are especially fragile and as an orphan, Phabeni has already been through a lot of upheaval in his short life. All things considered, he is handling this journey incredibly well.

We are taking each step as it comes, day by day, little by little. And we’re sure to celebrate even the small successes.

We are so grateful for all of you who are following Phabeni’s progress and thank you for caring so much already for this new little member of the HERD family.

You can help to support Phabeni by being a foster parent to him: https://herd.org.za/animal/phabeni/#f...