A baby albino elephant was found alone in the wild, trapped in a snare in January 2020 in South Africa. The infant was severely injured due to the restraint, and it was thought she might not live.
Rescuers took in the dehydrated, starving calf, and took her into the care of the team at Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD), where she has since healed from her traumatic experience.
Adine Roode (founder of HERD) expressed concern about whether the effects of emotional trauma would be too great for Khanyisa to make a full recovery. However, the infant elephant surprised everyone with her fiery determination.
The first concern was treating the severe wounds left behind by the snare. Khanyisa received treatment from expert care providers and wildlife veterinarians, who cut away dead skin and stitched the lacerations when they were certain there was no infection.
In the first days after her arrival, her carers also struggled to bottle-feed the infant due to the deep, painful wounds surrounding her mouth and her cheeks.
While the staff strived to overcome the issue of bottle feeding, they also had to ensure her nutrition was balanced enough that she didn’t suffer from diarrhea, a common threat to the health of rescued baby elephants.
“[It’s] one of the biggest threats to their health,” HERD explained. “It can cause dehydration and the loss of essential nutrients in their system.”
There have been concerns as to the challenges Khanyisa may face due to her albinism. So far, her severed ear is working as normal, but she will always continue to battle with bright sunshine due to her impaired eyesight.
The progress she’s made bodes well for her overall recovery.
In April of 2020, when her wounds had completely healed, Adine Roode, founder of HERD, started the steady integration with the local “Jabulani Herd” of elephants, who accepted Khanyisa into their family.
Khanyisa now spends her days from sunrise to sunset in the wild with the herd and returns to the orphanage to stay in the care of her human family, who also provide essential milk formula, which she will be dependent on until she is approximately 4 years old.
“We could not have wished enough for a more favourable outcome,” HERD wrote. “Thank you to all our amazing followers from so many parts of the world! Khanyisa has captured your hearts as much as she has captured ours. We appreciate all the support!”