Shot by poachers with poisoned arrows, a wild elephant who had never been at the David Shekdrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT), but who had mated with elephants that came from the reintegration centre, went there seeking help from humans.
And while it might be surprising to imagine an elephant seeking out humans for help — especially when he had just been injured by people — it's not unbelievable.
Elephants have remarkable spatial reasoning abilities and are able to craft detailed mental maps that help them navigate their territory. Considering their intelligence and high sociability, it's possible that former orphans or elephants who have been treated by DSWT could have communicated that it was a place of safety.