🐘 Two Orphaned Elephants Take Their First Steps Toward Freedom

 

After being rescued as vulnerable calves, Chikumbi and Ndewa finally reached the next stage of their journey. In June 2025, the two young elephants traveled from the Lusaka Elephant Nursery to the Kafue Release Facility in Zambia's Kafue National Park.

Their journey had taken years of care. Both elephants had been rescued in distressing circumstances and raised at the nursery, where professional caregivers provided the food, protection and companionship they needed.

The move to Kafue was a major step because the elephants could begin transitioning from human care toward a more natural existence. Instead of immediately being abandoned in the wild, they enter a gradual “soft release” process.

During this stage, the elephants can interact with other elephants while still receiving protection and support from their caregivers. Over time, their dependence on people can decrease as their interactions with wild elephants increase.

For a rescued elephant, freedom is therefore not a single moment. It is a long process. Every step, every interaction and every day spent learning the environment brings the animal closer to the life it was supposed to have in the first place.