Elephant Park comes to rescue of baby
Published: January 25, 2006
A baby elephant, born in the Bloemfontein Zoo last week and rejected by its mother, has found a home in the Knysna Elephant Park.
On Tuesday the seven-day-old female, Ashanti, was shown to the public for the first time.
Park owner Lizette Withers believes the elephant mother was too young and inexperienced to know how to raise the calf and, without a matriarchal system to guide her, she rejected Ashanti.
“Ashanti’s still battling, but starting to rally. Because she couldn’t suckle from her mother she did not get any colostrum, which all babies need to help their immunity,” Withers said.
“The zoo staff were hoping she would start drinking from her mother, so they didn’t give her any liquids for two days.”
On the third day the zoo staff tried feeding her liquids, with little success. The curator then decided to move the young animal to the Knysna Elephant Park.
“She came here in a bakkie, so there was the added trauma of travel,” Withers said.
“She’s made it through the first seven days, but the next seven will be critical. We won’t be out of the woods until 21 days.
“She had very bad diarrhoea, which is starting to clear. We’re feeding her on baby formula and she gets through 4kg a day.
“She’s got three minders, so she’s under 24-hour care. We’re down on our hands and knees checking her stools all the time. They should be thick and the colour of custard. We’re getting there.”
There are 15 elephants in the park and they range freely.
“There’s a lactating female that’s shown an interest in the calf,” said Withers.
“We can’t put the calf with her because she’s been lactating for three years and her milk is not full-strength any more.”
Withers said she was aware that the National SPCA was opposed to orphaned or rejected calves being kept in captivity.
“They believe they should be put down. That’s their point of view - it’s not mine,” she said.
But Rick Allan, manager of the NSPCA’s wildlife unit, said on Tuesday this was not the case.
“We believe they should be given every chance possible,” he said.
“We would not advocate euthanasia at all.”
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