Mbegu was just a baby when she lost everything!
In May 2014, violence happened between people and wildlife. Sadly,
Mbegu's mother was killed in that attack. Her mother killed a local woman from a village in Kenya and in turn, she was shot! The angry community hunted down
Mbegu as revenge, even the children threw her with stones.
It was impossible for Mbegu to reunite with her herd ever again!
Finally, the
Naibunga Conservancy showed up in the scene to keep
Mbegu safe while the
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) sent rescuers to bring the poor wounded calf to the safety.
After
Mbegu became a resident of the elephant orphanage at (DSWT), she has shown how loving and caring she still is. She didn't only bonded with her keepers, but she also took the role of "mini-matriarch" of the motley crew of orphans.
"As one of the most loving and caring baby girls in our care, Mbegu is a mini-matriarch in the making and dotes on the younger babies," Amie Alden, of the DSWT, told The Dodo.
Mbegu also gives away her own treats to the younger orphans, she has found her passion in life by helping other orphan animals to get through life!
She even steps in when there's conflict between the little ones. "When Rapa tried to push Naseku and Ndotto during the public visiting hour, Mbegu drove him out of the group for some time out!" Alden said.
Mbegu knows how important the play is for babies, who have been through hell in their little lives.
"She loves playing with the babies, playing mock hide-and-seek and then running away as though she's scared — comical when it's tiny Ndotto she's running from," Alden said.
When the orphans are let out of their stockades for play, Mbegu often escorts the seemingly defeated or sad orphans with encouragement, showing them how to go on with their lives. "She welcomes them warmly and strokes them with her trunk," Alden said.
In the next few hours,
Mbegu will be old enough to graduate to one of the DSWT's centers. I'm pretty sure her mother would be so proud of her!
Share her inspirational story with your family and friends!
