Magic

Meet Magic, a sweet little female elephant who was rescued in a small settlement called Hongwa, about an 8-hour drive north to the Panhandle of the Okavango Delta. She was found alone and vulnerable near the body of an adult elephant, suspected to be her mother, who was most likely a victim of human-elephant conflict. 

A concerned local from Hongwa village alerted us to Magic’s desperate plight. After assessing the situation with the Department of Wildlife, we were given the green light to pick her up and bring her home to Elephant Havens. 

At rescue, she was about 2 years and 6 months old—a bit older than the orphans we usually recover. But because of her weakened condition, we decided we must rescue her immediately. 

After darting and sedating her, Magic received desperately needed fluids and care from our vet. Because of her size, she was a bit of a challenge to load in our truck, taking a full hour and a half instead of the usual 20 minutes.  

After arriving at the orphanage, it took Magic almost three long months to adjust to her new home and accept that we were there to care for her. It’s understandable, considering the circumstances of how she was orphaned, that she would distrust humans. She was also grieving for her mother. 

But now, Magic is thriving within our herd, taking milk bottles every 3 hours, and learning from Boka and Mela how to be a good, nurturing mother to little Joy. She’s also learned the joys of playing in the mud and water wallows. With every big flap of her ears (which are many and often), she’s telling us she is happy among her new family.

It means so much to have the awareness and aid of villages like Hongwa. This shows what a strong connection we have made with communities in support of our conservation efforts. We are grateful for their faith in us.