Albino elephant calf eats, and the herd waits

Name: Albino elephant calf eats, and the herd waits
Uploaded: 2022-03-11T10:12:01Z
Duration: 14 min 31 s
Description: Late in the afternoon the herd moves through the bush, and one small pink calf is in no hurry at all.

Late in the afternoon the herd moves through the bush, and one small pink calf is in no hurry at all. more

That's Khanyisa, an orphaned albino calf at HERD, the elephant sanctuary founded by Adine Roode. Bit by bit, she has been brought in to live with the herds there.

Today Adine has marula fruit. Tokwe walks up to her and gets the last one. Setombe, the oldest and biggest of the females, comes over to see what her human is up to. Khanyisa hunts for fruit too, copying the grown-ups.

Kumbura, as always, is curious about everything. Mambo could not care less and strolls right past everyone.

Khanyisa is busy showing off her trunk. She's learning to feed herself, which adds to her milk feeds, and she's now strong enough to move tough branches and strip off the green leaves. Her small tusks, which will keep growing all her life, are easier to see than before.

In the bright sun her pink skin stands out, and her ears flap to keep her cool. An African elephant's big ears are full of blood vessels, so flapping them cools the blood and brings her body heat down. She keeps eating. If the others are ready to move on, it doesn't bother her.

African elephant in a savanna or grassland setting with trees and shrubs, likely late summer or early autumn due to greenery. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third. — Late in the afternoon the herd moves through the bush, and one small pink calf is in no hurry at all.

Kumbura comes over to check on her. She's a young allomother, a female who helps raise a calf who is not her own, and she's protective of Khanyisa. Kumbura was once a scared, underfed orphan herself, and she inspired Adine. Now she's relaxed and trusting.

None of this takes Khanyisa's mind off eating. Tokwe stands close beside her while the herd waits for her to finish. When it's clear she is taking her time, the others start munching too.