The Kenya Wildlife Service team from Baawa Platoon stationed near the Kirisia Hills at Malalal received a report from the local community on Easter Sunday 8th April 2012 that a baby elephant had been left by its mother having fallen into a cattle well near the Kirisia forest above Maralal town. The Elephant Mother and the herd had gone to drink at this Cattle Well, and had obviously struggled hard to rescue the calf but more than likely left hurriedly, panicking when herders brought their cattle to drink at the well. The Rescue, coordinated by Rauni Munene, Warden of Maralal Station, was led by Sgt. Lekishe and Larimado three Rangers who managed to extract the calf from the well. They then surrounded the baby and slowly walked the calf back to their camp with any evidence of her herd and elephants in the area long gone. By this stage it was becoming late in the day and it was clear there would not be the time for an aircraft to leave Nairobi and reach there before nightfall, so her KWS rescuers resigned themselves to the fact that they would be in for an extremely restless night.

The tiny calf was clearly distressed bellowing for her lost family and did not sleep a wink, neither did her rescuers. The Rescue plane left early on the 9th (Easter Monday) and the calf, a 2 month old female, was safely back at the Nursery by noon.

She was named Maralal after the area she was found. She by this stage was clearly exhausted, and having fed on both milk and rehydration fluids she collapsed and slept soundly in the safety of her stable with a Keeper close at hand for comfort. Once she gathered strength she got to meet the other nursery orphans, and this served to both comfort and unsettle her.   All she wanted was a ear to suck and was content to latch onto which ever of the older orphans was obliging ˆ which was all of them ˆ the fussing over this little calf left Kithaka alittle jealous having had the undiluted attention of them all for some time.

The first night was unsettled with Maralal bellowing much of the night, and Sities and Naipoki bellowing back. In a stable close to Kihari she eventually calmed down. This continued for a couple of nights but now she understands the routine and the memory of her lost family seems to have dimmed.