Title: Diary of an Elephant Orphan
Year: 2024
Country: South Africa
Language: English and afrikaans with English subtitles
Director: Hermien Roelvert
Diary of an Elephant Orphan takes us through the struggles and turmoil’ of orphaned baby elephants and the people who have made it their life’s mission to save them. Khanyisa is the newest addition to the elephant sanctuary.
It was filmed close in Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa. This documentary narrative captures and highlights the devoted world of wildlife carers of the ‘Elephant Orphanage founded by Adine Roode, a Wildlife Rehabilitator.
It is a heart-wrenching film where this baby Albino elephant goes through the ups and downs of recovery after she has been snared at only 4 months old. Treated by Adine and her dedicated team at the orphanage together with Veterinary doctor for wildlife, Dr. Peter Rogers, this baby elephant slowly gets rehabilitated with great difficulty.
What saves Khanyisa is the integration of the elephant into a tribe of Zimbabwean Orphaned Elephants and two mothers in the group that adopt her. A slow process where she at first must be fed inside the shelter unsuccessfully, until they figure out that it will be better to feed her amongst the tribe until she no longer needs the bottle and grows stronger
It is an award-winning film that is a must watch when it becomes available
