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Happy 18th birthday to Limpopo, who we celebrate on 19 August each year. Watch her day with the herd and happy moments at the waterhole, including hippo and buffalo visitors, filmed by elephant carer Last.
As the daughter of the herd’s Matriarch, Tokwe, Limpopo is protective and intelligent. Named after a river in Zimbabwe and a province in South Africa, Limpopo was born in August 2006. She was the first calf born to the Jabulani herd, and while we know her mother, we can only guess who the father may be—possibly Sebakwe or a wild elephant. Her birth was emotional, as elephants are known to not reproduce under stress or in an unhappy environment. Her birth showed Tokwe was happy and home in her new surroundings after being rescued from being culled in Zimbabwe.
Limpopo is the eldest of the younger elephants and is very much the big sister of the herd, always protective and tending to the younger elephants – a trait she may well have learned from her caring mother. She is an intelligent and beautiful young female, aware of the other elephants’ emotions. She is one of the first of the herd to react protectively whenever the elephants encounter dangerous animals on the reserve, such as lions. She is her mother’s biggest fan, always backing her up and giving her daughterly support and help with the younger elephants.
Discover more about Limpopo, and adopt her to play a role in her journey >
