Wildlife Conservation South Africa Project #56188

Fishan Brave Elephant who Survived a Fractured leg

by Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation & Development

Fishan Brave Elephant who Survived a Fractured leg

Project Report | Feb 22, 2024
A Growing Family for Fishan the Survivor!

By Sunel Craythorne | Fundraising Administrator

We are happy to report back about Fishan the survivor.

A strong and valuable member of his herd, Fishan is a friend to many. He is often seen with little Timisa, whom he has always had a soft spot for, as well as Bubi and Tokwe, the herd matriarch who keeps a watch on him in the bush. As much as he might compete with Jabulani from time to time, the two bulls are not against sharing their space and can even be seen together on walks or shady foraging on hot days.

A lot has been happening in the herd lately, with a new orphan being integrated, but Fishan has yet to meet little Phabeni without a barrier. So far, the orphan has met all the herd members except for Tokwe and her group who share a section of the homestead, i.e. Fishan and the females, Limpopo, Kumbura, Timisa and Pisa. We can’t wait to see how the older bull will respond to Phabeni, and whether he will step in as a father figure, helping to mentor and watch over the new elephant in his family.

The weather in our wilderness is warm and we were lucky enough to enjoy good rains over December and January, helping to fill our dams and create muddy wallows that Fishan and the herd just love splashing in. Fishan is the tallest elephant in the herd, helping him to reach the marula and other fruit and enticing leaves on the tallest trees. He isn’t against using his height to shake branches so the fruit drop to the ground and make for easy pickings. The marula fruit can be seen across the bush still, littering the ground in tasty yellow-green morsels that are packed with vitamins and energy for not only the elephants but other wildlife in the reserve.

At 35 years of age now, Fishan has an old soul, a maturity that has grown since he is less able to rely on physical prowess since his 2018 leg fracture. But this bull has always stood apart from others, and shown a greater sensitivity than some bulls. He may not be the dominant bull, at third position in the hierarchy among the bulls. He may not be the strongest physically. But he makes up for this in his character and behaviour, his confidence in standing his ground, and standing up for himself and for others he cares about. He is a kind bull and we will always have a place for him in our heart and our herd.

Fishan will never be able to be released permanently into the wild, like some of the other elephants in the rescued herd, since his fracture left him with a limp that makes him slower and not as strong. His pressure wound, caused by lying down on one side more often than the other, so that he can use his stronger leg to get up, also needs care from humans. We clean this wound frequently to prevent maggots and infection. When winter comes, and the cold returns, we will need to monitor the stiffness and pain that colder temperatures could bring. We treat this with anti-inflammatories and pain medication, just as a human might treat a similar malady.

Fishan continues to teach us about perseverance, showing up for family, and being there to help, guide, and protect where needed. He is an exemplary herd member.

Keep an eye on our social media platforms for more updates and news on Fishan and his family at HERD.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HERDElephantOrphanageSouthAfrica

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HERDElephantsSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herd_elephants/

Thank you for all your support towards Fishan, our survivor.

Warm Regards

Adine and The HERD Team

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Oct 26, 2023
5 Years of Healing for Fishan the Survivor!

By Sunel Craythorne | Fundraising Administrator

We are happy to report back about Fishan!

Elephants are social animals. Their well-being depends on them having a herd – a family that supports them, and that they can learn from, interact and bond with, grow with, and lean on. Our rescued herd is very unique as a herd of orphans, with older and younger cows and bulls living alongside one another, in most cases without a blood connection. Still, they are as close-knit as a wild herd, with a social structure that ensures the youngest and most vulnerable are taken care of. After healing from his accident in 2018, Fishan was one of those more vulnerable elephants.

Thanks to the Jabulani herd, he had a support network to care for him, to give him purpose and a sense of belonging. Tokwe, the Matriarch, especially, stepped into this role, walking with Fishan at the back of the herd during the elephants’ days roaming, swimming, and foraging in the Big 5 wilderness together. Tokwe watches over him in their shared section of the homestead at night too, as the herd sleeps in a protected stable area with the carers’ accommodation alongside them for extra surveillance. Tokwe has never left Fishan’s side in these five years.

Fishan still has competition and challenges from other bulls like Jabulani, but he stands up to them and does his best to hold his own. He has the support of the youngest in the herd too, like Timisa and Khanyisa who enjoy this big bull’s company both in the homestead and out in the bush. Many of the younger elephants have found a sort of father figure in Fishan.

During his rehabilitation, Fishan had the support of his human carers who would spray his leg with a water hose as a form of hydrotherapy, and who would read to him to keep him stimulated and prevent him from feeling bored or alone. It was imperative that we keep his spirits up while he recuperated from a setback that in the case of many other elephants might have meant death.

Today the only signs of his setback are a bent foreleg where the fracture took place, a limp and a slightly slower walking pace. Fishan hasn’t let it stop him from mud-bathing, swimming, splashing and drinking in the dams, and joining his herd from sunrise to set in the wilderness.

After his accident, he couldn’t walk with the other elephants in the bush for many weeks, while he recovered. When he started joining them in the wilderness again for accompanied escapades, our hearts jumped knowing he was defying the odds. Fishan needed his family after his accident in 2018 and they were there for him every slow step of the way – the family he had travelled with across the border from Zimbabwe in 2002 after being rescued from a fate more ruthless when he and the rest of the herd of orphans were at risk of being killed during violent land reforms. Fishan had been through so much with his herd. It was only right that they stand by him when he was at his weakest.

Fishan will always need support. He simply wouldn’t survive in the wild, were he fully reintegrated. And this is where HERD steps in, to give Fishan the daily care he needs, from his pressure wound caused by sleeping on the weaker side of his body, to his joints that suffer a bit more in colder winter months. Wintertime plays havoc with Fishan’s body, making him stiffer and more prone to pain. Our carers help alleviate this as much as possible with anti-inflammatory medication and pain relievers, and are sure to have Fishan routinely seen by our favourite veterinary experts. This pushes up the cost of caring for him, but we believe that every elephant deserves a chance at life – life with a herd to help.

Keep an eye on our social media platforms for more updates and news on Fishan and his family at HERD.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HERDElephantOrphanageSouthAfrica

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HERDElephantsSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herd_elephants/

Thank you for all your support towards Fishan, our survivor.

Warm Regards

Adine and The HERD Team

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Jun 29, 2023
Fishan, the Father of the Elephant Herd!

By Sunel Craythorne | Fundraising Administrator

We are excited to share a report on Fishan the Survivor.

Born in 1989, Fishan, meaning ‘something smaller’, has been through many hardships over the years, but this has never stopped him from embracing life with a kind and open heart.

We have been celebrating Fishan during the month of June with Father’s Day, as we pondered the question: is Fishan the father of the herd? He certainly has incredible fatherly qualities in human terms, offering that male support to the little ones in the herd. He loves to be around the youngest elephants and spends time doing so, keeping an eye on them, keeping them company, both in the bush and in the paddock in the homestead that they share. He was castrated when he was younger due to an infection, before he was rescued from Zimbabwe and brought into our care so is not physically able to sire a calf but he has the qualities, as he’s shown, to be there as a father figure. He also shows us that you don’t need to be the strongest one in a family to be in a position of responsibility. You only need to show up, be there for the others and offer yourself to their care and protection

Fishan enjoys foraging with the females in the bush during the day, as you might have seen in our videos shared on YouTube. In this video - https://youtu.be/SoqHVrOBhs4 - the females stay close to Fishan, while they feed. Fishan shares his paddock in the homestead with all the young elephants and orphans (and Matriarch Tokwe) and has a close bond with them, especially Timisa. You can certainly see this bond when the elephants are all out in the wilderness together too.

Enjoy a close-up view of Fishan under the trees here - https://youtube.com/shorts/kw3m_HfKoXM - while in this video -https://youtu.be/rZbcBsqifQw, we join Fishan at his new branch buffet. He chases away young cow, Pisa but gladly lets Tokwe (Pisa’s mother) join him in feeding off the bark on the fallen tree. Tokwe and Fishan are close friends as Tokwe helps to watch out for Fishan and Fishan helps Tokwe in looking after the young ones in the herd.

It has been an incredible journey of rehabilitation and recovery to get Fishan back on his feet and to where he is today. Fishan persevered and survived the odds. He got stronger and stronger by the day and spends his days walking through and foraging in the bush happily, although now with a slight limp.

Without your generosity and kindness, it wouldn’t have been possible for us to care for, support and protect Fishan after his injury. Thank you for all your donations and adoptions for this incredible bull and survivor.

You can follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see more moments between Fishan and his herd.

Warm Regards,

Adine and The HERD Team

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