•
On Saturday, the KWS Vet and Capture team, while conducting a mass capture and relocation at Kedong Ranch, got a distress call to rescue a baby hippo at Oloiden Resort, Naivasha.
On getting to the scene, a baby hippo, barely a month old, pressed helplessly against the lifeless body of his mother, nudging her, calling out in soft, desperate cries that grew heavier with each passing moment of silence.
She had lain still for over a day, claimed by what is believed to be natural causes, yet her calf could not understand death — only absence, only the terrifying stillness where warmth and protection once lived.
Our team was met not just by the logistical challenge of a rescue, but by a raw, aching bond that refused to be broken.
The calf clung tighter as unfamiliar figures surrounded him, his instincts torn between fear of these strange beings and an unyielding trust in the mother who could no longer respond.
The team, weighed every option, knowing one wrong move could push the calf into deeper distress or danger.
In a moment that captured both the brutality and tenderness of nature, they made the painful decision to use the mother’s body, despite the overwhelming odour and emotional weight, as the only anchor to safely reach the calf.
It was a rescue carried out not just with skill but with hearts heavy enough to feel the loss alongside him.
When they finally lifted him away, it was not a victory without sorrow, it was the beginning of a long healing journey.
Handed over to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for specialised care, the calf now faces a future without the one constant he had known, relying instead on human kindness to survive.
This is the reality our wildlife faces. It is through the selflessness our veterinary and capture team, who endure physical hardship, emotional strain and moments of profound heartbreak, that hope still exists.
They are the quiet voice for those who cannot speak, standing in the gap between life and loss.
Supporting them means standing for every orphaned life, every silent cry unheard, and every fragile chance at survival.
To support our conservation efforts, please visit kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke/donate today.
Karibu, Tutunze Pamoja!
🦛🥺🤎
