Lerumo
Meaning of name: Bullet
Current Age: 6 years and 9 months old
Date of Birth (Approximate): March 1, 2018
Gender: Female
Reason Orphaned: Human-elephant conflict on privately owned land
Rescue Date: September 11, 2021
Age at Rescue (Approximate): 3 years and 6 months old
Rescue Location: Island Safari Lodge, Maun, Botswana
Foster Me!
We got a call about a baby needing our help—a poor little elephant who was still trying to nurse from her Mother who had been shot and killed.
Bee and our vet, Dr. Comfort, mobilized and tried and tried to get a good vantage point to dart the baby with a tranquilizer so we could rescue her. Unfortunately, she was in a wooded area where the vet couldn’t get a clear shot, so we had to engage a helicopter to help. Helicopter Horizons came to our aid and donated the use of their chopper and pilot to help us with the rescue.
Once she was successfully sedated, we realized that she, too, had been shot. Her trunk had a gaping hole from a shotgun blast, and we also found bullet fragments in her chest. When she first arrived at Elephant Havens, her breathing sounded like some sort of big breathy whistle. After many, many stitches to close the wound on her trunk, her breathing returned to normal.
Happily, with the care of Dr. Comfort and our team that never left her side day and night, her wounds successfully healed.
Even though this little one had been severely traumatized, she soon calmed down enough to eat out of the hands of her loving handlers. She also LOVES her game pellets. Our other babies welcomed her into the herd right away, and we gained a very grateful and sweet new baby girl in Lerumo.
FOSTER AN ELEPHANT FOR YOURSELF OR AS A GIFT FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL.
For just $100 annually, our foster parents receive by email:*
Foster certificate with the name, photo and details of your orphan
Updates on their care and progress
*Emailing these items saves us money on printing and postage, so we can ensure every dollar you donate goes directly to the elephants.
Donation form
Please call 972-620-2523 if you have any questions about fostering.