Orphaned albino elephant, Khanyisa’s journey of survival is nothing short of inspirational! Her story has touched the world. She was found in January 2020, as a four-month old calf – alone, without her herd in sight, with a poacher’s snare around her cheeks and ears. Her injuries were severe. Wildlife vets estimated that she spent four days stuck in the snare and that she had been trying desperately to free herself. She was brought into the care of the HERD orphanage team, where her carers are looking after her night and day.

Now two years old, Khanyisa (meaning Sunshine in Shona) is fully rehabilitated and has been integrating into a rescued elephant herd.

A baby elephant can not survive on its own. Their needs are diverse and nuanced and require a special kind of management, one with heart and soul and respect as well as milk and medicine.  Moreover, it is imperative that an elephant calf is in the company of other elephants for their emotional wellbeing.

Khanyisa was born with the hardship of being an albino elephant in the wild, meaning that she is more sensitive to the harsh African sunlight, but she has learnt to cover herself with mud and sand to protect herself. She has overcome the snare wounds, the trauma of being orphaned, ill health, diarrhea and had a blood transfusion as we fought to get her through rehabilitation. Without her mother’s milk, the HERD team has to specially formulate milk for her and adjust it to suit her changing needs.