Mela
Meaning of name: To Grow
Current Age: 2 years and 6 months old
Date of Birth (Approximate): October 1, 2021
Gender: Female
Reason Orphaned: Unknown
Rescue Date: October 28, 2022
Age at Rescue (Approximate): 1 year old
Rescue Location: Chobe District, Northern Botswana
Foster Me!
This little girl was only about a year old when she was found wandering near the villages around Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls. She’d been fending for herself, with limited success, for some time. By the time we got to her, she was roaming the rough area of the Chobe Sewage Treatment facilities.
The poor thing was bone thin and listless. Who knows how much longer she would have lasted without rescue? Unfortunately, we have no idea what happened to her herd or why she was left alone at such a young age.
We brought her to our quarantine stables at Elephant Havens where she was quick to take to the bottle—a very good thing—and quick to permit her handlers to enter her boma and attend to her needs—also good.
This baby girl was experiencing some swelling in her little feet, and although we could get her moving around the boma it was not the same as being out in the open. She had met the rest of the herd as they visited her enclosure (a sight to see and hear—what trumpeting!), and they were anxious to have her join them. So, given her sweet demeanor and the swelling, the decision was made to allow her to walk the property, through the woods to the fenced Delta area with grassland and ponds and mud wallows.
In less than three weeks, little Mela was out with the herd being doted on by MmaMotse and crew. Her name means “To Grow”, and we hope that she grows into a strong, confident matriarch of her own herd someday, just as we are growing Elephant Havens to become a leading voice in conservation.
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.
Foster Mela
Donation form
Please call 972-620-2523 if you have any questions about fostering.