I love it. ❤💕🤗

Wasn't that sweet of rascal Mambo?

Sweet 🩷!!

​@@dowth3Yes it really was❤

​@@rennieradMe too❤

Do you mean Setombe? Setombe was Phabeni’s adoptive mother.

I'm wondering, too. So sad for her...

@@lilyd1010Just fyi, Semopane and Sebakwe are male elephants. Setombe is the female elephant who adopted Phabeni.

@@phripp2868 TY phripp! When I'm confused I appreciate the redirection. I love them all so much.

@@lilyd1010 No worries. 😊 I have often made the same mistake. And you are right, we love them all anyway. To be fair, Somopane the bull elephant has been called the “gentle peace keeper of the herd” by the Carers, so your description still fits. 🤗

@@phripp2868 what a kind soul u are; ty (seeya round the watering hole) (•◡•) /

💞🙋‍♀️

Wasn't that a lovely, honest entry? So powerful. It does take time and grief is nuanced. Setombe needs ongoing TLC, especially.

What letter? Where is it available?

@@stephenvanwoert2447 ...Several days have passed since Phabeni died. Even having been alongside him on his last night and into the morning, and having seen the end approaching, it does not feel real. In the moment, I need to do whatever it takes. I need to be there for Phabeni, for Stavros, for Liverson, for the other things calling my attention. I cannot think about the pain in my own heart. I cannot think about how it hurts to hold onto hope so furiously and then have to let it go. I cannot let go until the very last minute because I’ve seen orphan calves come back from the brink of death and pull through. We gave Phabeni painkillers and did our best to ease him in the last moments but there is no avoiding suffering. It is part of life. For the first few days after he died, adrenaline kept me going. But the loss of Phabeni hit us all hard, as the loss of anyone does. We stayed awake beside the little bull, and listened to his breathing. It was all we could hear. Until we could not hear it anymore. Owen was not prepared for the autopsy even though he tried to be there for it, perhaps to offer us support. But it is a brutal thing to go through. Especially considering how close we had become to Phabeni over the months he was with us. We had come to love him. Stavros, Herman, Khensani, Reply, Joshua, Liverson… these men and women were a family to Phabeni. They celebrated when Setombe took him in, they cried with me seeing how the females in the herd allowed him to comfort suckle from them. We were devoted to him every day, with every trying milk feeding, every nap under the reeds, every race to meet his herd, every night beside his sheep. At first, I thought… what now? What do we do with ourselves now? But I remembered quickly, the herd. We still need to be there for the herd. In a way, they rescued us in this moment of tragedy. Every day we have 23 carers seeing to the health, wellbeing and safety of the herd, in the bush and in the homestead. They may no longer be calves, but their needs are plentiful. Fishan’s leg, Fishan and Tokwe’s colic, Mambo’s sparring wounds, Klaserie’s floppy ear, Pisa’s abscess, Somopane’s cracked skin, Sebakwe’s broken tusk, the maladies come and go, but the herd always needs us. To be needed is a beautiful thing. It guides you, it rewards you, but it can also break your heart. The odds of survival for elephant orphan calves is low. A report by BBC sharing the loss of an orphan at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust when Dame Daphne Sheldrick was still alive, shared that as many calves that survive, die. There is simply so much against them each step of the way for the first two years of their lives. It is a far easier task to raise rhino orphan calves, since they are able to thrive on a standard milk formula that suits all and does not need to be changed. My time raising rhino orphans was certainly hard work, but not nearly as challenging as caring for these gentle giant babies. Watching Daphne in the video interview with BBC as she got emotional over the loss of a baby in their care, I can’t help but find comfort in seeing especially a woman in conservation letting her raw and real feelings show. Even the carers show their hearts’ truths. So often in conservation, cold facts and statistics lead. But there is a very real human and animal heart to the stories of the work we do, in the loss and triumph. We battled with Khanyisa over the years, but were able to pull her through. Similarly with Jabulani, Timisa and Kumbura, these little fighters thrived enough to walk alongside the other orphans from Zimbabwe. But the odds claim many. I know that thousands of people around the world ached with us over the loss of Phabeni. But I’d like to share with you the beautiful words left in a comment by @kat-kess on KZfaq: Don't turn away from the broken places. "The wound is the place where the light enters you." - Rumi. In a world riven with darkness, Phabeni was light. Where there is hatred, he was love; where there is cruelty he was kindness, affection, joy. Little Phabeni in your short life, you allowed us to see and be all that is Good in this world. Thank you for that rare gift. With love and thanks, Adine Roode

Adine pen a letter about phebani last night and her heart break 💔 she also sent some out personally it was beautiful

@@stephenvanwoert2447 In the community tab

Agreed! I'm praying that Adine will specifically reach out to Setombe, as only grieving mamas can 💔💚

Same over here. I'm still shedding tears for little Phabeni😢

@@a95569 same! It takes aWHILE. Imaging what it's like for Setombe! 💔

Mi chiedevo se in questo periodo invernale sono finiti i dolci frutti di marula

I pray so too, for Setombe! Unike the humans (like all of us) who miss Phabeni, she is more alone 💔. Wasn't Mambo sweet?

I think it was Mambo's hug for Khanyisa, not Lundi's. That makes it even more touching.😊

@@Dnvr8083 I noticed the tear in Lundi’s ear, which is how I identified her.

Yes!

Please don't let Setombe isolate herself too much from the herd while she mourns Phabeni. I hope she does not make herself weak and sick.

Did you see the video? She is grieving her baby. It hurt me to see her suffering. I hope she can recover and maybe have a baby of her own❤❤

@@lauraruane9807 sure they will be fine they will grieve together like everyone has to do when they lose someone and it may take a while, but I’m sure they will be fine. God is gracious and merciful he always does the right thing by his creatures trust in the Lord and the strength of his might

@@lauraruane9807 This is my fear, too. I suggested that Adine tend to Setombe the way she lovingly tends to frightened babies. I think it would be good for them both! 💚💚

Me too! Seeing Khanyisa for scale only reminds me of how tiny our wee baby bull was. I used to love to see him strolling underneath Setombe! ❣

@frankfreeman 1444. Me too 😔❤. Human hands are not always enough. Heavenly Father took away all the pains of a little one 💖🌈.

​@@dowth3Me too!! I would always look in the massive legs to see our Sweet Baby Phabeni! He may be gone but he will forever stay and grow in all of our hearts

​@@anitasyvalahti1730Oh my goodness that was so beautiful 😢

@@amberstamp1965 I send for you healing 🫂❤‍🩹💝.

A beautiful comment !

@@inasorensen4452absolutely ! elephant never forget theirs ! each year they remember as humans the day the hour of the death it’s Unbelievable ! and this for 5 to 10 years ! and more ! they are back to the place of the death ! wish them to be in good health ! the most important !!

Agreed. It's hard to watch the herd without thinking of Phabeni. I love the nickname for Timisa. She is a Cupcake!😅

@@inasorensen4452 Thank you.🐘🌻☀️🌳🌈🩶🩶

Your words help alot. Thanks❤❤

We are pleased that you enjoyed the clip.

😊 appreciated

Thank you ladyjustice, it is appreciated a smile is needed now and again and again and again.

No kidding. I'm still a wreck over it

me too😭

@@natasjadirken5633 me three!💔 Imagine Setombe's pain ....

@@dowth3 I can actually imagine, I lost my baby too 😢 But Lundi; I remember a couple of weeks ago when Adine said Lundi pun was upset that she did't get the baby. She was Phabulous Beni his "first" mom before he picked Setombe.... I just miss him so much....

@@natasjadirken5633 I'm so sorry 😢. I know that pain as well. It's AWFUL. I think I remember Phabeni suckling from Lundi as a pre-arranged thing by Adine more than the baby's choice. Animals often have different designs than we humans (thankfully). The baby certainly leaves a huge gap! I've been watching Phabeni videos to help me process my grief. OUCH.

@@dowth3 I am so sorry for your loss too!! I'm severely depressed for the last year and Phabeni was really my daily light to get me through the day.... Hugs and strength for you😘

I was puzzled by that shove from Tokwe as well. 🤔

We don't really know what happened, we could not see exactly the cause or what bothered Tokwe, but she tends to be a fair disciplinarian, and they seemed fine afterwards.

@@herdelephantorphanage thank you for your update.❤️🐘🐘❤️

Beautiful sentiment, and memories and kindness 💚. I thought it was a brilliant idea to choose Mambo as donor given his zest for life, and I agree: one can be mischievous and still sweet! I too share your concern for Setombe! I watch Phabeni videos and I pray for her daily 🙏

I agree. Just to say that since I have been watching HERD, Khanyisa has been the most successfully raised baby orphan. Bless her! ❤😊

🌸

☕️🕊️🤍

🙏

@@voiciray 😉

I wondered that same thing .... Was it a Hey that's my branch! sort of thing?

@@dowth3 that’s what I was thinking too OR Timisa was getting too close to Khanyisa 🤷🏽‍♀️ … it was a hard head butt though 😭😭😭😭

We don't really know what happened, we could not see exactly the cause or what bothered Tokwe, but she tends to be a fair disciplinarian, and they seemed fine afterwards.

@@herdelephantorphanage Thank You!! I would say Most of the Elder Ellies are very good at being disciplinarians …. Quite honestly It was shocking to see though, cause most of the videos are more peaceful…if u know what I mean 🧚🏾‍♀️🙌🏽💖🕯️💫

❤🙏

Hello Carolina, we will continue to share footage of all the elephants in the herd. We don't really know what happened, we could not see exactly the cause or what bothered Tokwe, but she tends to be a fair disciplinarian, and they seemed fine afterwards.

@@herdelephantorphanage Thank you so much for your kind reply. Tokwe is a fair and just matriarch. I see her saddened by Phabeni's passing. She hasn't been quite herself. But I do agree that whatever that was, it passed quickly and Timi returned to her side. Pisa chose wisely to step back and our little Meisiekind was unphased by the whole thing. When she is foraging, she is entranced!

And mine too.😊

@@Dnvr8083 😊🎉 👍

@@ute3349 🙏😀🙋‍♀️

❣

That actually was Mambo

I wondered the same thing. Hopefully Owen will share some thoughts on it. The caption right after didn't seem to notice it.

Maybe Tokwe now considers Khanyisa is now ' the baby ' again and needs more protecting after being frightened the other day? I dont know. Very strange. Not fair to Timisa i think...

We don't really know what happened, we could not see exactly the cause or what bothered Tokwe, but she tends to be a fair disciplinarian, and they seemed fine afterwards.

I notice the silence, too -- unless it is just my heart not skipping a beat at the sight of the wee bull ... 😢

@@dowth3 Sensitive people like us can notice that deep silence, thank you 🙏

It was Mambo ❤

​@@teresaa96289 Oh ty.. ❤ I thought it was Lundi at first 🙂

Me too!! Prayers for Setombe's broken heart 💔

@@dowth3 😘😘😘😘😰😥

I noticed that she is almost as big as Timisa now. I just don't know if she is big for her age or if Timi is petite for hers.😅

@@CANM-hv4ki She is big for her age in my opinion

@@missclaire4820 it seems she will outgrow Timi. She is only a little bit shorter than Timi now, and their age difference is about 3-4 years.