Colchester Zoo’s charity Action for the Wild is continuing to support an Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia and has recently received an update on one of the young orphans rescued back in October, as well as on a recent rescue.

Little Zambezi was plucked to safety after being found struggling in a swimming pool last October. He seems to be happy with his keepers and seems to be settling in well to a nursery facility. Once his blood tests come back clear, the team will introduce him to the other young elephants at Lilayi.

Another orphan rescued in the village of Soweto, at the Mozambique border during February, sadly died 2 weeks later at the orphanage, seemingly having gone too long without his mother’s milk. It was a sad loss for the team, who had put so much energy into rescuing the orphan.

There are currently six orphaned elephants being prepared for release into Kafue National Park. With four more suckling orphans at the staging post in Lilayi who will come to the release facility in Kafue when they are weaned from their 3 hourly milk feeds.

Sadly the project is also reporting an increase in poaching in the local area with 3 bull elephants poached just 5km from the camp and poaching having worsened over the past 6-9 months at Kafue National Park. The project is, therefore, putting huge efforts into mitigating poaching in the park.

If you would like to donate towards this project helping the EOP with their rescue, rehabilitation and release project, please visit www.actionforthewild.org.

Charity No 1105621