An Update on Phabeni & The Herd | One Big Happy Elephant Family

We hope you enjoyed watching the introductions between Phabeni and the members of the herd, with all the nail-biting action and reactions, the heartwarming and tender moments, the funny back-kicks and tusk-pokes, and the few complete surprises! It was a journey in itself, and one that was very important to ease Phabeni into the herd, and to ensure no stress to the herd or the little calf meeting them. But a new beginning is here now, as we are able to move on to showing you the next step… into the wild, with Phabeni and the whole herd.

We move now from the orphanage to the bush, where Phabeni takes milk bottles in the company of the elephants in the wilderness, and joins them for all-day walks. Since this little bull is much stronger than Khanyisa was at his age, without the wounds or affects of snaring to contend with and overcome, he has been able to take on full day walks quickly. He has familiar comforts around him to help him adapt, such as his bottles delivered by his carers and the presence of the elephants he has bonded with.

Setombe has clearly taken on the responsibility of being Phabeni’s mother, having adopted him right off the bat. Lundi did not contend with her for the role, and it was very clear to all of us that Setombe had her heart set on this little bull from the start. It has been so special to witness this new side of Setombe and we are excited to watch her have her moment in the sun! It is natural for older females to birth new babies every few years, and so perhaps Setombe simply felt ready for her turn to be a mother again. Klaserie is staying close too, still very connected to her mother.

Enjoy these moments of transition, from milk bottles in the orphanage to bottles in the wild, with all the elephants around to watch over Phabeni, and help our team raise him. Thank you for caring about this new calf at HERD and following his journey into a new family.

www.herd.org.za