Even to a baby elephant, he surely can’t look much like his mother.
But to a young orphan called Joe, this 29-year-old nature reserve keeper has become the next best thing.
The three-month-old pygmy elephant was pictured last week nuzzling his lifeless mother in a desperate attempt to revive her.
Joe the baby pygmy elephant
Why won’t you wake up, mummy? Joe was visibly distressed as he nuzzled his lifeless mother in a desperate attempt to revive her
His distress was so visible it moved wildlife officials to tears.
The mother had become the latest victim of a mysterious spate of poisoning in the tropical rainforest of Malaysia, one of 14 now known to have died.
Had Joe not been rescued he would almost certainly have stayed at his mother’s side until he starved to death. Frightened, thirsty, and confused, he had lost weight and might have ingested poison through his mother’s milk.
Despite 24-hour care in the nature reserve now looking after him, experts feared Joe could still die of a broken heart.
Getting to know you: Little Joe and his keeper indulge in a bit of horseplay now that they have formed a remarkable bond
Bath time: Joe’s new keeper Augustin seems to be enjoying it, but the elephant isn’t so keen. Augustin said of the elephant that he ‘has clear likes and dislikes
Feeding: Keepers have found a special formula of milk that caters to Joe’s nutritional needs
Then he was introduced to Augustin David. Now, in a remarkable bond between man and beast, the keeper has become Joe’s surrogate mum.
Like any parent, Augustin faces a grueling schedule that requires feeding Joe every two hours, all through the night, with a particular mix of formula milk that the infant has a taste for.
Playtime involves him running Joe around the compound at Lok Kawi zoo near Kota Kinabalu, which the little elephant loves; and persuading him to keep still for bathtime, which he loathes.
‘He has clear likes and dislikes,’ Augustin said. ‘He loves suckling people’s thumbs – just like a human baby, it calms him.
But he doesn’t like showers, so we have to wash him in his pen. At the moment he is losing his baby skin so he likes to rub against anything because he’s itchy.’
Bond: The keeper and the inmate have formed an unusually close relationship at the wildlife center
Friendly: So far, Joe seems to be adapting fairly well to life among humans after his mother’s death
Danger: But it is too soon to say for sure that the fun-loving elephant will survive his ordeal
He also loves attention. And when it’s not focused on him, he is not slow to let his adopted mother know.
He kicks Augustin in the legs or nudges up against him. ‘He’s active, playful, and naughty,’ the keeper said proudly. In any other circumstances, this would be simply a delightful if rather bizarre partnership. At the moment, however, it is still a fight for life.
Dr. Diana Ramirez, the vet overseeing Joe’s recovery, told the Daily Mail: ‘He is far from safety yet. It’s too soon to be sure that he will make it – sometimes baby elephants can look OK and then die suddenly.
‘They are very prone to colic and it can be fatal very quickly. Once he’s past six or seven months, we can be more confident. But he clearly has a strong will to survive.’
Chilling out: The elephant stretches in his new home as Augustin looks on at his protegé
Surrogate mum: Like any parent, Augustin faces a grueling schedule that requires feeding Joe every two hours, all through the night, with a particular mix of formula milk that the infant has a taste for
A mysterious spate of poisoning: Joe’s mother is one of 14 known elephants to have died and investigations are still being carried out to discover what wiped them out and whether it was deliberate or accidental
Popular: The orphaned elephant has been a hit with handlers at the wildlife center in Malaysia
