Melia’s Exceptional Birth at Ithumba
This morning, as the sun rose, we were privileged to witness a truly remarkable sight just beyond the boundaries of the Ithumba stockades.
Every elephant celebrates the arrival of a new baby with excitement, but our ex-orphaned elephants bring it to another level. They didn’t grow up in the wild, so witnessing births in their natal herd is a new experience for them. It has now become a tradition for our ex-orphans to come back to our stockades shortly after giving birth, filled with pride and eager to introduce their new baby to the people who cared for them.
Only once before have we seen one of our ex-orphans give birth. In the days leading up to Christmas in 2014, Emily returned to Voi and gave birth to her second daughter just outside the stockades. But until now, a similar miracle had not been witnessed in Ithumba.
At dawn on October 29th, the wild elephants and ex-orphans gathered outside Ithumba, a common routine during the dry season. Head Keeper Benjamin was startled by a sudden commotion and saw something had dropped to the ground amidst the elephants. The wild bulls fled, trumpeting in a panic, while even the usually calm older females disappeared. The arrival of this mysterious object had caused quite a stir among the elephant community.
Before Benjamin could even process what was happening, a flurry of familiar names came rushing back towards him: Melia, Loijuk, Kinna, Kitirua, Kalama, and Olare. In their midst was a surprising sight – a newborn elephant, still covered in a milky-white placenta. It was a sudden and unexpected arrival, as Melia had given birth without any warning!
Watching Melia’s growing belly over the past months, it was clear that she was nearing her due date. Despite her large size, she had managed to keep it a secret, leaving everyone unsure of when the big moment would come. Melia had been a regular presence at Ithumba during the dry season, along with many other ex-orphans. The night before, she had visited the stockades, giving no hint that she was about to go into labor so soon.
Surprisingly, even Melia was taken aback when she suddenly found herself thrust into motherhood! At first, she appeared confused by the sight of the small baby in front of her. Thankfully, her more seasoned friends were there to lend a hand and guide the inexperienced mother through the situation. Loijuk, a mother of a three-year-old named Lili, took control of the situation and gently helped the baby stand on his feet using her front legs. It was quite amusing to see the bulls watching the scene intently from a distance, clearly perplexed by the unexpected turn of events!
This sudden shift in Melia’s behavior was quite surprising. She gently used her trunk to guide her baby over for nursing, a skill she had to learn with practice. Throughout the day, Melia seemed to grow more comfortable with her new role as a mother. She couldn’t stop staring at her little one, almost as if she was amazed at creating such a beautiful creature, and she lovingly caressed him with her trunk. We decided to name him Milo, which means ‘beloved.’
Melia’s experience with motherhood is a whole new world for her. Just like humans, some elephants are naturally more nurturing than others. Melia had never shown much interest in babies before. Even when she was a dependent orphan at the Nursery and later at Ithumba, she never showed any signs of wanting to become a mini matriarch. Even after transitioning to the wild and seeing her friends have babies, she never showed any desire to be a nanny like some of the other elephants.
However, the experience of becoming a mother has brought out Melia’s nurturing side that she never knew she had. Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed with her new responsibilities, she is handling everything remarkably well. Fortunately, Melia and Milo have a supportive team of nannies by their side to offer both emotional and practical assistance. Kalama and Olare, who were rescued around the same time as Melia, have been especially attentive and helpful. Other experienced mothers like Loijuk, Wendi, Kinna, and Nasalot frequently check in to share their wisdom and guidance. Sities, who has entrusted her own baby Mambo to the care of his grandmother and other nannies, has taken on the role of Melia’s assistant. Always being her enthusiastic self, Sities ensures that curious elephants keep their distance by blocking them with her body.
Our girls who are totally obsessed with babies were overjoyed by Milo’s arrival. Malkia, Mteto, and Maramoja were eager to see him as soon as he was born, but his caretakers quickly intervened to prevent them from getting too close. However, luck was on their side this morning when Sities took pity on them and allowed them to spend time with Milo. They happily took care of him, protecting him from any curious young bulls who came too close.
Despite being born during a severe drought, Milo is a robust and healthy calf. He seems to have inherited his mother’s strong build, as he came into the world already looking quite sturdy! Just a day old, he is already the same size as Wimbi, who is three weeks old, and even bigger than Mambo, who is seven months old.
Melia’s journey with us began back in 2009, when she was discovered alone in Tsavo East. Whether she lost her mother to poaching or simply the harsh conditions of the dry season remains a mystery. At just 11 months old, she was left without a family. Over the past 13 years, Melia has thrived in our care, transitioned into the wild, and now, she has taken on the role of a mother. We are incredibly proud to witness her embrace this new stage of life with such grace and expertise.
Milo, the 53rd calf born to an orphan we rescued and rehabilitated, has a promising future ahead of him, with potentially seven decades to live. We feel incredibly honored to have been able to witness his arrival on this planet.
