Successful Elephant Calf “Bezi” relocation

On Sunday 15 January 2012, just over two months after his initial rescue, elephant calf “Bezi” has been successfully relocated from Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) base camp to Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) – Lilayi, Lusaka.

Now approximately four months old, having been treated and vaccinated against Anthrax (a naturally occurring disease present in the Lower Zambezi in 2011) Bezi was flown to Lusaka yesterday attended by Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) vet Dr. Harvey Kamboyi. After a slightly longer than expected quarantine period at CLZ, last week ZAWA and the Zambian Government Veterinary Department gave CLZ and the EOP permission to move the elephant calf to his new home. At Lilayi, Bezi will become the newest and youngest member of the now four-strong herd of orphan elephant calves. He will enjoy walks with his new friends and be looked after by the EOP team, one of whom, Lasick – he already knows very well!

During his 2 months at CLZ a combined team of CLZ and EOP carers have tirelessly fed Bezi a complex formula every 2 hours, cleaned wounds, taken temperatures, recorded behaviour and played with Bezi around the clock. It is thanks to them that his condition was stabilised and although he is still underweight it is hoped that Bezi will now gain strength and friends in his new environment! Ultimately it is intended that these calves will move to Kafue and be reintegrated into the wild.

Huge thanks to all at the EOP – Sport Beattie, Rachael Murton, Tanya Shober; Robert Stacey and Royal Air Charters for transporting Bezi from Royal Airstrip to Lusaka free of charge; and all at ZAWA and the Vet Department for their expert assistance.

Elephants might fly after all!

EYES IN THE SKIES: AERIAL PATROL

Brad Reid, Bush Pilot Extraordinaire, joined us back at CLZ for November and December and helped us out with flying our Cessna 172 Reims Rocket during aerial patrols over both the national park and the game management area. The plane is an invaluable tool against poaching both as a rapid response facility, back-up support for foot patrol teams and as a deterrence for illegal hunters in the area. Carcasses and poaching camps, which might remain undetected, can be spotted easily from the air.  As soon as the plane is Zambian registered we will be up in the air again – eyes in the skies!

This month reported illegal activities have been low and currently we have not had any elephant carcasses reported. This brings our annual total of reported poached elephant carcasses in the Park and GMA this year to 22 (at the time of publication). Well done also to Eland Team (Luangwa Command Control) who had a contact on 16 December and recovered one muzzle loader and bushmeat.

Zambezi – the youngest elephant ever rescued in Zambia

On 12 November, Leonard Kalio, head guide at Baines River Camp, requested assistance from CLZ after rescuing an elephant calf, estimated to be 1-2 months old, which had fallen into the Baines  swimming pool. The calf had been heard crying for its mother for over 48 hours and was almost certainly orphaned.

After obtaining ZAWA approval CLZ transported the calf back to base camp in order to rescue him from starvation or predation. Due to Anthrax in the region the bull calf now christened “Zambezi” (“Bezi” to his nearest and dearest) has enjoyed an incubation period at base camp where he has been looked after by a team of dedicated carers both from CLZ and the Elephant Orphanage Project (“EOP”). After testing negative for Anthrax, he was successfully vaccinated against the disease on 29 November by ZAWA vet Dr. David Squarre and will hopefully be relocated up to the EOP base at Lilayi Lodge on Tuesday 13 December.

Steadily getting stronger by the day Bezi is a real character, he’s so young that he’s not totally in control of his trunk (or legs sometimes for that matter!) and carers have been trying to teach him things which his mother would be teaching him at the moment – how to flap his ears, how to pick up leaves and branches etc. He loves slops too as they are a doddle to pick up with a wobbly trunk!

CLZ is glad to have been able to give this little guy a chance in life – its been tough and he is still vulnerable but when we pass the baton to the EOP we know he will be in very good hands. With the numbers of poached elephant and elephants lost to Anthrax high in the Lower Zambezi this year we can’t afford to lose any more!

A big thank you goes to Explore Africa and World Women Work for sponsoring our CLZ elephant carer team, Ted Karnezos for his generous donation, Mark Bryant (for donations and flights), Rob Stacey and Royal Air Charters and Tim Featherby of Baines River Camp for letting us put supplies and people on their flights!