Meibae

About Meibae

• Gender: Male

• Age when rescued: 9 months

• Rescue date: 26 June 2018

• Rescue location: Meibae Conservancy

• Reason orphaned: Mother died of natural causes

• Released date: 21 June 2024

Meibae’s Rescue Story

Meibae’s mother passed away of natural causes, and he was found wandering alone in Meibae Conservancy, at only 9 months old. He joined us on the 26th of June, 2018. Upon arrival at Reteti, he immediately bonded with Shaba and Lemorijo and we noticed that he had an incredibly playful temperament. He easily settled in with the rest of the herd.

Meibae at Reteti

Before Shaba was rewilded in May 2020, she spent a lot of time with Meibae. It seemed like Shaba adopted Meibae and took him under her wing. She taught Meibae how to browse, and how to hold his bottle by himself, amongst other things. Meibae would often poke his trunk at Shaba, asking for attention; just like a small child would tug his or her parents' clothes.

Today, Meibae is very independent, gets on with his daily activities at his own pace, holds onto his milk bottle for as long as possible and certainly doesn’t like being told what to do! His best friends in the sanctuary are Olpejeta and Lemorijo. He loves to drink his bottle by himself... and will grasp the bottle firmly with his trunk and then step backwards to make sure he can finish the whole bottle by himself. He also drinks his bottle slowly and steadily, making sure to not finish it too fast and to savour every last drop - a very strategic move, we'd say! All that being said, we know he is really a gentle giant at heart. Over the last 3 years, we’ve watched him look out and care for the other orphans at Reteti without hesitation with his big heart.

We are able to identify Meibae in the herd by a tiny piercing in his left ear. It might be tough to spot on a photo, but it’s much easier to see in real life!

Meibae in the Wild

Meibae – along with 12 other elephants in his herd – was released right here in Namunyak Community Conservancy on 21 June 2024. It’s been wonderful to witness them joining a herd of wild elephants on the slopes of the Mathews Mountains! The next step of our journey involves monitoring their progress and wellbeing in a variety of ways. As a foster parent to Meibae, you’ll support his vital ongoing monitoring – and receive regular updates and inside info on his forward strides in the wilderness! Read more about his release on our Release Hub.

Please note:
Multiple adoptions of individual elephants enable us to cover the costs of caring for all 43 elephants at Reteti; your contribution will help us cover the cost of milk, the keepers, veterinary costs, monitorin and other essentials your elephant needs.