Rosie

When we were called to rescue a young elephant a 12-hour drive away, we weren’t expecting to find such a remarkable little girl. She was wandering alone, starving, and not moving around much. We were able to start an IV with fluids and electrolytes and get her into the Land Cruiser without a struggle. Once we came upon some vegetation, we cut mopane, terminalia, and grasses for her, which she quickly gobbled down. Surprisingly, she had the strength to remain standing the entire 12-hour journey back to Elephant Havens.

The late evening light was poor when we first spotted 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 that 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. It turns out that our little Rosie is partially albino or “leucistic”.

When orphans are as calm as Rosie when they first arrive, we’re wary that there could be an underlying health issue. We ran a full gamut of blood work, fecal and urine tests. She had some issues regulating glucose levels, but she quickly adapted to the bottle which meant we could get nutrients and hydration into her on demand. The fact is, although seriously malnourished, she just seems to be naturally calm and trusting.

Within 4 short 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.