A bundle of surprises…Rosie joins the herd

I suppose after dozens of rescues we should know that each little one presents its mix of sadness and joy, both the familiar and the unexpected. But, occasionally, a rescue story leans more to the novel and the happy. On that note, we introduce you to Rosie. (More to the name in a bit.)

About 30 days ago, local residents alerted the wildlife department to a young calf—about 14 months old—wandering alone near Sekanduko, a village in the panhandle close to Shakawe and roughly 12 hours from Elephant Havens by Land Cruiser. Bee and Dr. Botes and the rescue team set out and quickly located the baby. She was starving and not moving around much, so they were able to approach her and begin the recovery right away. When we darted her, she hardly reacted—which was surprising and not a good sign. Dr. Botes started an IV with fluids and electrolytes, and we carefully lifted her into the Land Cruiser.

Once they were away from the desolation of the panhandle, the team cut mopane, terminalia, and grasses for her. To everyone’s relief, she ate well. The next surprise was that she was strong enough to remain standing the entire journey back to Elephant Havens.

The late evening light was poor when the team first encountered Rosie. The prominent jaws and spine of a malnourished elephant were obvious, but, as night turned to dawn, the biggest surprise was revealed. Under the flashlights something had appeared to be different, but in daylight it was clear—all of the hair on this little one was white, behind her ears she was pink or perhaps rose-colored? Much of the underside of her little trunk was pink, as was the area around her eyes. Her irises are almost a khaki color, not the usual deep brown of an elephant. And they are framed by thick white eyelashes. No member of the team had ever encountered such an exceptional elephant. Little Rosie is partially albino or “leucistic”.

But Rosie was not finished with the surprises. She was calm. We encounter very calm babies from time to time. That calmness often masks some underlying health issue, and we have learned to be wary. We quickly ran a full gamut of blood work, fecal and urine tests. She had some issues regulating glucose levels, but that was addressed, in part, by the fact that she quickly adapted to the bottle. We could get nutrients and hydration into her on demand. The fact was, although seriously malnourished, she just seems to be naturally calm and trusting.

For example, within 4 days of her rescue, Rosie walked with us from her quarantine boma into a thick elephant pasture nearby. The grasses were up to her shoulder, and she did not know what to make of that. Yet, only four days removed from the wild, she easily followed us into a new adventure.

She is now out with the herd and, unsurprisingly, she is well accepted by the herd. Well, by all other than Joy, who is just a little uncertain about this addition. Sharing the spotlight is a new challenge for that little princess.

We are beyond excited to share this extraordinary little elephant with all of you. Rosie is a rare gift, and her story is one more reminder of the magical opportunities your kind support makes possible.

You can help support Rosie’s health and care by fostering her.