New Arrival at Abu Camp (View Images)

A fanfare of trumpeting by the elephants in the riding herd and much jubilation among the staff greeted a new arrival in Elephant Back Safaris' Abu Camp in Botswana's Okavango Delta - a healthy baby bull born to Sirheni just after 6 am on May 24th.

EBS chief executive officer Randall Moore immediately named the new baby “Abu” after the famous leader of the herd who died tragically four years ago and after whom the main camp is named.

Little Abu, measuring 89 cms at the shoulder and weighing between 250-300 lbs, was walking - a little unsteadily at first - within 20 minutes of his birth and suckling three hours later. He is already showing signs of the proud independence of his illustrious namesake.

The father is believed to be Mafunyane, the first young bull from EBS herd to be released in to the wild as part of Randall Moore's dream of returning formerly captive elephants back to their natural home. Five elephants have now been released from the EBS herd in this way and all are thriving.

Mafunyane was seen mating with Sirheni just over a year ago during one of his numerous visits back to Abu Camp. He and Sirheni were part of the original “Brat Pack” of young elephants saved by Moore from a culling operation in the Kruger National Park. Baby Abu is the third calf born to Sirheni and gives a fascinating insight into the interaction between the riding herd at Abu and those elephants released.

“This happy event illustrates just how content and well-adjusted our elephants are,” said Moore. “Here is a proud young mother with a healthy baby fathered by a young bull who has readily adapted to his release into the wild.”

For more information or photographs of Sirheni with baby Abu contact EBS at:
Telephone: +267 6861260, Fax: +267 68612005, E-mail [email protected].


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