Tsholofelo
Meaning of name: Hope
Current Age: 6 years and 8 months old
Date of Birth (Approximate): April 7, 2018
Gender: Male
Reason Orphaned: Drought
Rescue Date: September 7, 2019
Age at Rescue (Approximate): 1 year and 5 months old
Rescue Location: Eretsha, North of the Okavango Delta
Foster Me!
We were told about a baby elephant that had been seen nine days earlier alone under a tree in Eretsha Community. We contacted Ecoexist, a group in that area working to address human-elephant conflict. They had seen the baby two days before, giving us hope that he was still around. Immediately, Bee, two Handlers and our vet, Dr. Comfort, set off in search of the young one.
The day we arrived, he was nowhere to be found. The good people at Ecoexist put us up for the night, and early the next morning we drove out to a certain island we were told the elephant liked to hang around. We found him there alone—very skinny, hungry, and dehydrated. Temperatures can be very high in that area, and the little one was quite stressed.
Dr. Comfort was ready with his dart gun, and we were able to capture and bring home little Tsholofelo, or Hope. He and MmaMotse quickly became best buddies—even sleeping touching trunks. Tsholofelo also loves sharing his food with her. He drags his branches over to her enclosure so they can share them. We’re very happy that in the first four weeks after his rescue he gained over 100 pounds and is doing very well.
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.