Rescued Baby Elephant Greets the New Day With a Hug for His Human and Baby Warthog Friends

A rescued baby elephant named Moyo adorably greets the new day at the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery outside Harare, Zimbabwe, with a loving hug for her human Roxy Danckwerts and their baby warthog friend.

Moyo was rescued from the Musango area, in February 2014, where he was found abandoned by her herd. Considerable efforts were made to find his natal herd, but there were no Elephants in the area. It is believed that Moyo was a premature calf, and was not able to keep up with the herd, who were under pressure from poaching in the nearby Omay Wildlife area. Moyo weighed 56kg on arrival. A normal elephant calf should weigh 90-100kg. The first few weeks of his life were very challenging indeed and it is a miracle, as well as a testament to his fighting spirit, that Moyo survived.

Roxy has put together a lovely video documenting the amazing progress Moyo has made in the last 8 months.

MOYO, an orphaned baby elephant, being hand raised at the new Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery … He is now 8 months old, having been born premature and severely underweight, then sadly, was found lost and alone in the wild. Moyo is growing into a happy young fellow, full of joy and laughter … he is well loved

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.