Grab some snacks and be ready to read the motivational story of Loijuk, the elephant. This elephant story will make your heart melt while reading. What are you waiting for? Read this elephant story below to make your day great.
This mother elephant was rescued from the wild as an orphaned calf 14 years ago, and she has returned many years later to show her baby and thank the people who helped her.
Who Is Loijuk, The Elephant, And What Happened To Her?
Nothing is more important to Loijuk the elephant than her family, especially now that she is beginning her own.
The orphaned elephant was discovered alone at barely 5 months old in 2006 and rescued by Kenya’s Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT). SWT raised her until she was old enough to be released back into the wild.
Despite the passage of time, Loijuk maintains a close relationship with her human family. Every month, she pays a visit to the sanctuary’s grounds. Loijuk, on the other hand, surprised her former rescuers with a baby elephant calf in September.
The pleased elephant mother was clearly eager to show off her child. The calf, named Lili, was only a few hours old, having been delivered the night before.
Loijuk will never forget the generosity shown to her by those who assisted her. Benjamin Kyalo, the head keeper, was even invited to share a precious moment with her newborn calf.
“Benjamin was able to go close to Lili (who was nestled between his knees), massage her beautiful newborn skin, and breathe into her trunk, thereby letting her know who he was through his smell,” SWT executive director Rob Brandford told The Dodo. “Elephants have a phenomenal recall and sense of smell, so our keepers will frequently breathe into the orphans’ trunks to help them recognize who they are.”
“Loijuk has stayed close to the unit’s perimeter, allowing our keepers to keep an eye on her and see how she’s doing,” Brandford explained. “Given that September is the height of Tsavo’s dry season, which isn’t ideal for a new baby, we’re overjoyed that Loijuk has returned close to home so that we can help supplement her food when she visits.”
Calves are nurtured in the wild with the help of female relatives from the herd. Before giving birth to Lili, Loijuk was a nanny to other kids, and now her calf has her own nannies in the form of two other wild orphans named Naserian and Ithumbah.
Lili will spend the rest of her life in the wild with her mother’s herd, and she now has a safe haven to return to if she ever needs it.
Lili is the 31st calf born to SWT-raised female orphaned elephants that are currently living in the wild, and she is a symbol of hope for elephant populations around the world.
“These are historical moments,” Brandford added. “By saving the life of one orphaned elephant, we are not only seeing that orphan thrive, but we are also seeing that orphan form a family.”