In the depths of northern Tsavo East a unique baby was born; a baby elephant strengthening the bond between the wild herds of Tsavo and the orphaned elephants of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The Ithumba Units second wild-birth was sealed twenty-three months ago between twelve year-old Yatta and a young wild bull of twenty-six years. Yetu, which in Swahili means ours was born on the 19th January 2012 and is a beautifully wild and healthy addition to a growing herd of elephants bridging the gap between the human and animal worlds. She is not only a symbol of hope for the future of elephants in an increasingly hostile human-world but a sign of balance between nature and mankind. Yatta's story, like all the orphans rescued by the Trust, had a sad and cruel beginning. She was found in September 1999 in Tsavo East National Park below the Yatta Plateau when she was just one month old. She had been bellowing for hours walking around the body of her dead mothered who had been slaughtered by poachers for her ivory. Yattas distressed calls were heard by a labour gang working nearby who instigated the rescue operation to get the tiny baby to the Nairobi Nursery for care. For a long time Yatta was troubled with weakness, periodic stiff joints and sometimes complete collapses as well as a host of other ailments. Yet after several years of loving attention and medical treatment Yatta improved considerably growing in strength and overcoming the trauma of her loss. So in February 2001 it was decided that Yatta, along with Kinna and Mukwaju, was to be moved to Tsavo to begin her reintegration process into the wild herds of Voi. After 2 successful years at the Voi Unit, Yatta was chosen to move to the new Ithumba Rehabilitation Stockades to support, teach and care for the younger orphans translocated there from the Nairobi Nursery. Yatta was chosen because of her deep maternal instinct as well as her natural position as a leading matriarch and since her arrival at Ithumba she has been a valuable and much loved mother, friend and tutor, successfully integrating with wild herds, whilst forming strong bonds with the orphans. After several years the time came for Yatta to be mated and the young wild bull who found her and fathered her calf is also the father of Mwende, Mulikas calf born only two months before Yetu. And so it is that Mwende and Yetu are half-sisters born from a wild father and a human-reared mother. On the morning of Yetus birth a group of ex-orphans gathered at the Ithumba stockades for several hours, including Mulika and Mwende, Wendi, Kinna, Selengai, Nasalot, Taita and Ithumbah. This excited yet anxious group knew of Yattas impending labour and were en route to help with the delivery. Sensing the anticipation in the air the Ithumba Keepers knew an event was to take place yet were unsure of Yattas whereabouts having not seen her for a couple of days; and so it was that between midday and midnight on this special day in January that Yetu was born in the presence of her new family, the ex-orphans and their wild friends. Before sunrise on the following morning Yatta along with her birthing partners arrived at the Ithumba Stockades proudly presenting their bundle of joy to their human family.