Mukkoka
All hope might have seemed lost for little Mukkoka, until an aircraft flew overhead. From the skies, a ranger spotted his tiny footprints among the sandy riverbed, indicating a elephant calf was wandering in the vast wilderness all alone. Three days of tracking later, they found a desperately vulnerable and lonely little bull who was lucky to have escaped predation. Brought to the safety of the Sheldrick Trust’s Nairobi Nursery, Mukkoka received round the clock intensive care and joined a herd of elephants who had suffered similar tragedies. Read more.
In honour of his miraculous story, we are pleased to share his sculptural representation with you, created by . Thanks to conservation initiatives, there is hope for Africa’s endangered elephants. Real-life orphaned elephant Mukkoka, who defied the odds to survive thanks to a routine aerial surveillance patro, exemplifies thil.
If you feel inspired by Mukkoka’s story, and want to support his 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 Mukkoka’s sculpture
Real-life orphaned Mukkoka beat the odds to make a full recovery. Inspired by his strong will to survive, acclaimed public artists Gillie and Marc have sculpted his likeness in Silicon bronze, an alloy primarily made of two elements found naturally – copper and tin.
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 Mukkoka 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 Mukkoka’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.