A beautiful thing about humanity is that we like to help others – other humans as well as other species. More often than not, our longing to help others comes from our want to selflessly give back just as we would want others to do for us if we were in the one in need. A majority of the time, however, we don’t want nor expect anything in return. Just being able to help someone else when they’re in dire need is plenty of a reward for us.
Asampu, the six-month-old baby elephant, is just one example of a creature who got to bask in the compassionate actions of his fellow h**o sapiens. As she was treading along the hot plains of Africa, the young elephant’s family was nowhere to be seen. To make matters worse, the calf’s body showed signs of starvation.
Fortunately for Asampu, she was initially spotted around Narraengolo by a ranger associated with the Big Life Foundation. The ranger then called up The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT), one of Africa’s oldest wildlife organizations dedicated to saving orphaned elephants. To date, the trust has helped raise over 240 orphaned elephants, according to their website.
Asampu too would be one of the latter statistic. Coming to Asampu’s rescue, a team of six men transported little Asampu on a large tarp to an airplane where they quickly rehydrated her as they transported her to the elephant nursery.
With the exception of the latter, the six-month-old calf didn’t require any special medical treatment. However, due to dehydration and starvation, if the young elephant had not been rescued by the organization, Asampu surely would not be here today.
Even long after tending to her malnourishment and dehydration, “…the grief of losing her family will [still] take time to overcome,” according to a video featuring her rescue. In addition, it would take time for the baby elephant to get used to her new surroundings and caretakers.
The good news is, however, Asampu is blending in well at her new home at The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and has befriended many other calves. Her playful personality indicates that the elephant is happy and adjusting well. She will continue residing at the orphanage until the age of three where she’ll then be placed in a reintegration area.
If you’re interested in donating to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to help more orphaned elephants like Asampu, you can do so here. It’s such a relief to hear that the calf is doing well since her rescue!
Learn more about Asampu’s rescue story in the video below.
