Khanyisa was a beautiful orphaned baby elephant calf and lived at the elephant sanctuary “HERD,” founded by Adine Roode. Khanyisa had been gradually integrated with the elephant herds at the refuge.
When the elephant herd was roaming in the bushes one late afternoon, Tokwe, a majestic elephant with a beautiful trunk, came towards Adine. She was the one to get the last marula fruit. Similar to cows, all the female elephants hang out together. Even Setombe came closer to her human to investigate what she was up to. The little Khanyisa also tried to find the fruit, as she tried to copy the adult females.
Setombe was the eldest and most enormous of all the females in the herd. Another majestic elephant was Kumbura, who was also very curious about everything. Mambo was least interested in all the activities and just walked past everyone.
Khanyisa had been very busy trying to show off her elephant skills with her trunk. In addition, she was learning to feed herself and supplement her milk feedings. Recently, she showed a lot of confidence and willingness to practice her skills. It was good for her as animal instincts are excellent survival tools.
In the bright afternoon, Khanyisa’s pink skin was noticeable. The little one flapped her ears to keep herself cool. African elephants’ giant ears are usually laced with veins and capillaries. By flapping those mud-covered ears and controlling blood flow through them, elephants can reduce their body temperature significantly.
Khanyisa was very busy eating green leaves. Her tiny tusks, which would continue growing throughout her life, were already more potent than before. She kept eating and was not bothered if the others wanted to leave already. The little elephant was so strong she could now move the strong branches with her trunk.
Soon, Kumbura came in to check on Khanyisa. She was a very caring and attentive young allomother and protective of Khanyisa. Kumbura had inspired Adine and was once a tiny, malnourished, and scared orphaned elephant. However, she was now relaxed and trusting. Khanyisa wasn’t at all distracted from her munching duty. Towke stood close to the albino elephant as the herd waited for her to finish. However, they too started to munch as Khanyisa was taking her time. Soon it was time for Adine to prepare them to return home. Finally, the little one joined Kumbura and returned to the herd.
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