The Bond That Endures: A Story of Frida and Rothko
Frida, from the Artists family, recently gave birth to her third calf – the 101st recorded in Samburu so far this year, already surpassing last year’s total of just 37.
What makes this wobbly, tiny female so special is not just her birth – but the powerful legacy she inherits. Her mother’s story is one of tragedy, resilience, and renewal.
Frida and her calf © Jane Wynyard
During the height of the poaching crisis between 2009 and 2012, both Frida and her niece Rothko lost their mothers to ivory poachers, two years apart. Rothko was just six; Frida was nine. Orphaned so young, they formed a tight, lifelong bond – eventually helping one another raise their calves, supporting each other through the challenges of elephant motherhood.
But three years ago, tragedy struck again. Rothko was killed in Buffalo Springs – we suspect she was caught in crossfire between warring northern Kenyan tribes. After being shot, she fled across the reserve, crossed the Ewaso Nyiro River, and finally collapsed and died alone in a dry riverbed in Samburu National Reserve.
Rothko and Frida (right) resting in Samburu National Reserve in 2021 – the year that Rothko was killed © Save the Elephants
Her two young calves were left without a mother. In the chaos of the shooting, they scattered. The younger calf, still under two years old and dependent on her mother’s milk, disappeared deep into Samburu National Reserve. Against the odds, she survived, was reunited with the family, but had to be taken to an elephant orphanage for specialised care – she was simply too young to survive without her mother.
The older calf, six years old at the time, stayed with the Artists family and was adopted by Frida – who raised her alongside her own two calves. It was a powerful display of allomaternal care, a well-documented behaviour in elephants where females help rear each other’s young, especially during times of stress or loss.
Rothko’s calves in Samburu National Reserve © David Lolchuragi / Save the Elephants
Today, Rothko’s adopted daughter is around ten years old and remains tightly bonded to Frida and her family. Frida’s two older calves are aged nine and six, the perfect age mates.
With the birth of this new baby, Frida continues to play a vital role in maintaining the stability and cohesion of her family unit – a key factor in the survival of elephant herds in the wild.
Elephant society endures – through loss, through healing, and through generations.
Elephants like Frida and her calves face enormous challenges every day. With your love and help, a gift of $12, $52 or more, means more boots on the ground, and protective eyes on them.