Fishan Brave Elephant who Survived a Fractured leg

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