Lualeni
Lualeni was found sleeping by herself under the shade of a tree in the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Kenya in July 2004. No other elephants were nearby, and it's likely that her mother was killed by poachers with ties to the bushmeat trade.
Throughout the day, the 4-month-old elephant tried to join the other wild herds, but she faced constant rejection. That evening, she was rescued without a struggle; the tiny elephant was simply happy to receive rehydration and a bottle of milk.
At first, Lualeni was utterly grief-stricken over the loss of her mother. In spite of the best efforts of the other orphans at the Nairobi nursery, she refused to interact. She spent month after month alone in her thoughts. Then, seemingly overnight, the despondent calf underwent a transformation.
Today, Lualeni is a very plump, happy and playful little elephant. She loves showing off for visitors during the noontime bath session. Visitors are always delighted when Lualeni does her favorite trick of waggling her bottom only inches away from them.
She also relishes chasing off the resident warthogs, warning them with her squeaky trumpeting.
Foster Lualeni with The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. (You are leaving discovery.com for a site not operated by or affiliated with Discovery.)
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