Elephants

months old, and Roho, 18 months old.

On June 6, Olorien was spotted by Masai herdsmen as she tried to follow their grazing cattle. Rangers also noticed the abandoned calf and alerted the Kenya Wildlife Service. Several herds passed by and Olorien, despite her plaintive cries, was left behind. At that point, because it was clear that the calf could not survive alone — baby elephants are dependent on their mother’s milk — Sheldrick mounted a rescue and brought Olorien back to the Nairobi nursery. What happened to Olorien’s mother is not known.

That sadly was not the case with Roho, whose mother probably was killed by poachers. In mid-october, rangers tracking down poachers received word of a tragic scene: a tiny calf standing beside his deceased mother at the top of a steep lava hill covered with brush and jagged rocks. Why this inhospitable place? Rangers surmised that the mother elephant felt this could be a safe place for them. Although Roho initially resisted attempts to take him away from his mother, the experienced team finally led him down the hill and transported him to the Nairobi nursery.

All accepted essays become property of The Dispatch. Send essays by email: talking@dispatch.com

Amid the stress and sadness of the pandemic, I have been moved by the bravery of Olorien and Roho and the other orphaned elephants who tragically lost their mothers. I have been inspired by the selfless work of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which gives hope and comfort to the orphaned elephants in their care.

More important, I have been touched by the generosity, caring and sense of community that these sensitive and intelligent creatures give to each other. They have made the world a little brighter.

Diane W. Birckbichler, 76, lives in Columbus.