New Baby “Love” at Abu Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta

Joyous celebrations among the elephants and staff at Abu Camp in Botswanas Okavango Delta at the birth to Kitimetse of a healthy and lively baby named Lorato love in Setswana.

Little Lorato is the fourth baby elephant to be born at Abu Camp where Randall Moore pioneered Africas first elephant back safari operation 18 years ago. She was born at 3.30 pm on February 11, weighed 70 kilograms and measured 90 centimetres at the shoulder. She was quickly feeding and sleeping and within a few days was joining the herd in their walks to their favourite mud bath.

Kitimetse, her proud mother, joined the Abu herd as a baby, having been rescued from a mud bank in the Okavango after she had been attacked by a crocodile and apparently abandoned by her wild herd. Kitimetse - her name means I am lost in Setswana is thought to be about 12 years old and Lorato is her first-born.

Mahouts are convinced that the father of the new baby is Mafunyane, who was the first of the elephants from the Abu herd to be released back into the wild in 2002 as part of Moores life-long quest to return elephants from captivity to their natural surroundings. Mafunyane was one of the original brat pack of young elephants rescued by Moore from culling operations in South Africas Kruger National Park.

Moore was delighted by the arrival of baby Lorato. The birth of a baby elephant in the camp is one of those memorable moments, he said. Apart from the privilege of being able to witness the arrival of one of these magnificent animals, it is another indication that the elephants at Abu are happy, healthy and without stress of any kind.

The mahouts and staff have been monitoring every moment of little Loratos first few days on earth. The following is an extract from their log:

Day One: She was very strong. She started feeding quickly and at 17:10 we saw her feed on the left side of her mother for two minutes. Again at 18.40 she fed unaided for 2.5 minutes on the right breast.

Day Two: There was a lot of excitement in the boma and the other elephants were very interested. When baby Abu (a young bull also born at Abu) was being trained nearby, both he and new baby Lorato started rumbling excitedly. Later in the morning we took her out with the herd and she walked through the water by her mothers side. We brought Naya (a five year old female) close to the baby where she stayed for the whole afternoon. On their way back to the boma with the entire herd baby Lorato and little Abu started playing. Abu checked her out by touching her trunk with his but then Abu seemed to take fright of the baby and he turned and ran away.

Day Three: After her mother had a big drink of water, she started suckling. Her mother was happy as the feeding was very good with fresh grass and vegetation. Kitimetse is very good at taking care of the baby. At 14:30 the baby started milking again for a few minutes. After this she walked to the boma by herself and in the boma was very confident, possibly feeling safer there.

Day Four: When the whole herd went out, Kitimetse started to rumble and when the herd went out she did not want to join them. At 11:30 baby Lorato was washed with buckets of water. She didnt mind this and even started to eat grass at the same time.

Day Six: After waking she drinks water time and again, flapping her ears and standing under the shade. The baby was behaving well, trying to pick up some sticks using her trunk. At the mud bath she was actually trying her best to have a bath with her mother and Naya.

Day Nine: The wild elephants came around her, Naya and Kitimetse. Baby Lorato hides under her mother. She had a mud bath with Naya and mum and they were playing together and she drank a lot of water.

Day Ten: The mahouts took the herd for a morning ride and the baby was swimming. Afterwards she was very tired and she slept for approximately 30 minutes.

March 14, 2008   Posted in: Africa