Malkia
Regal Malkia’s name means ‘queen’ in Swahili. This feisty little survivor and will one day tread the same footsteps as her mother once more when she returns to wild. When Malkia takes that last step of her reintegration journey, the SWT will continue to care and protect her with the SWT ground and air teams who patrol the land to ensure wild lives are kept safe and secure.
Malkia’s rescue story begins during the harsh dry season of 2016 when her mother - a well known matriarch - was found collapsed. It is unknown how long Malkia had stood by her mother’s side but one can only imagine the grief and despair she must have felt, watching her slowly slipping away. Because she was only six months old, she desperately needed nourishment so the Sheldrick Trust rescued her to give her a second chance at life. Read more.
If you feel inspired by Malkia’s story, and want to support her care, you can adopt through the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Adoption Program. Our ability to raise orphaned elephants so that they will grow up as healthy, loved and supported animals is completely reliant on donations and the generosity of others.
Creating Malkia’s sculpture
Sitting in a regal pose, the sculpture ‘Malkia’ was created in bronze by acclaimed public artists Gillie and Marc. We feel truly privileged to share her sculptural likeness in memory of her ancestral line and the hope for a better future that Malkia embodies.
Raising awareness for elephants
Elephants once roamed the plains of Africa in their millions but now, the species are officially endangered. Poachers and habitat loss, amongst other threats, has brought African savanna elephants like Malkia to the brink of extinction, while their forest elephant cousins are listed as critically endangered. There is a very real possibility we might be the last generation to see elephants in the wild.
By sharing Malkia’s story, we hope to raise awareness and engage people in the plight of elephants, and how our own actions could help save a species.