An albino elephant is rescued by volunteers

An albino elephant suffered because of the trap on her leg

Imagine being part of a herd and being the so-called “black sheep” of the group. Partly because you are different from the crowd and you know how to distinguish yourself. Or because you know that everyone will be able to recognize you. Like the little albino elephant in this beautiful rescue story. The mammal calf is called Khanyisa and had been wandering alone for days on end before anyone noticed and helped it.

Receiving the call for help was Adine Roode, founder of the Rehabilitation and Development Center in South Africa. The little pachyderm had been wandering alone for days with one paw caught in an animal trap. She had lost her herd and without the help of the shelter, she probably would not have lived much longer.

Khanyisa is in fact a calf that needs a lot of attention. She has intense blue eyes and fragile bones. She was an albino. It is a genetic condition that makes his skin much lighter than other specimens of her species.

Because of this peculiarity, this baby elephant goes out of the shelter to go for walks. Also to reconnect it to the surrounding nature accompanied by volunteers who protect it from the sun’s rays. It took some time for the albino elephant to recover completely.  She desperately wanted to be with her fellow elephants.

The more months passed inside the shelter, the more Khanyisa regained her strength, making friends with the volunteers and also becoming inseparable friends with Lammie, a local sheep!

It seems that now this unique specimen of the albino elephant has finally found a new herd, and now she no longer feels alone. It took very little for the other elephants in the South African refuge to fall in love with Khanyisa: “We are so proud of Khanyisa’s brave little heart and determination to survive. Being part of her rehabilitation so far has been a privilege!”