We lost the first adult female to this year’s drought. Bente, the 52-year-old matriarch of the BB2 family, died yesterday. She had been seen moving on her own recently and that is often a sign of illness or weakness. We did not interfere because we knew there was nothing a vet could do. Please understand that this is a very difficult time for us. There is little or nothing we can do in the face of a drought and that is what makes it particularly hard.
Bente 1970-2022
Bente was born naturally tuskless as was her mother, Bette. After her mother died in 1989, Bente gradually broke off from her natal family, the BBs, and formed her own small family. She was a successful matriarch and mother. She gave birth to eight calves of which five are living. Her daughter Bryony, born in 1983, gave her seven grandchildren. Interestingly, no one else in the family has been born tuskless or even one-tusked. We were all very fond of Bente. She was a sweet, gentle, unassertive elephant, and consistent in her movement patterns, which we appreciated. We will miss her.
——2022.8.18 ATE
