Adopt Samburu

Samburu’s Rescue Story

Whenever an elephant calf is separated from her herd, everyone holds their breath hoping for a reunion. When tiny four-month-old Samburu was found alone without her mother in the Samburu National Reserve, that hope was briefly realised as the Save the Elephants team worked to reunite her with her extended herd. But when she was later spotted alone again, wandering into lion territory with no herd to keep her safe, Save the Elephants alerted Reteti's Mobile Vet Unit on 14 February 2026.

The team mobilised immediately, clinging to the hope they could reach her in time.
For three full days, the team monitored Samburu’s wellbeing from a distance, while desperately hoping for her herd to return. But as the days passed, the painful reality sank in that nature had taken a different course. It was then that they sprang into action to bring her safely to Reteti.

And yet, the frightened calf’s rescue was anything but simple. After three failed attempts, darkness had already fallen – but they couldn’t leave her alone through another night. With predators like lions and cheetahs moving stealthily through this landscape, Samburu’s survival was at stake.

That’s when the team decided to split into two groups – and began trekking through the bush with flashlights, searching for Samburu in the dark. Covering many kilometres of thick vegetation, they listened carefully for movement in the night, until they found her hidden deep within the thickets at last. But the exhausted little calf’s struggle wasn’t over yet…

After being safely rescued and brought home to Reteti, she arrived weak and dehydrated, with sunken eyes and a painful injury in her right eye. Added to that, she carried emotional wounds that were harder to see.
Terrified and defensive, Samburu lashed out at keepers and refused her milk bottles, which made even the smallest moments of progress feel like major breakthroughs.

And yet, day by day, thanks to the patience of her keepers and the courage of Samburu's little spirit whom we’ve all grown to love, she learned to trust her new environment and recognise that she was finally safe, which allowed her to soften and start healing.

Through round-the-clock care – including daily antibiotic eye ointment for her injury and specialised nursery care – Reteti’s MVU team and keepers nurtured her back to life, beginning a journey that fills us with hope.