Tholakele, the weaver that fell from the sky

Feb 06, 2025

Like we always say, Gwango Elephant Lodge wouldn’t be what it is without its daily dose of unexpected surprises. In fact, we start getting suspicious when nothing unusual happens. But even WE didn’t expect to become bird parents overnight. We’ve cared for small wild injured animals before and of course, we have our farm animals, so you could say we’re experienced. But a TINY bird? About the size of a cotton ball with legs, barely bigger than a thumb and so light you’d hardly feel it in the palm of your hand? Well… that was new.

We had noticed recently that quite a few weaver birds would plop to the ground, falling out of their intricately woven nests. Some take flight almost immediately while others are left to find their way until they gain the strength they need to go out on their own (with the help of their doting mama birds). We’re not sure why, but one particular little bird stood out. She wasn’t just another stumbling misplaced puff ball - this bird was different and clearly wasn’t trying to go back to the nest (or fly away) at all. There she was, looking a little lost but oh.. so full of fight (not flight) - we couldn’t just walk away. We also couldn’t find her nest, so in true Gwango fashion, we stepped in (although truth be told we do not like to interfere with nature). We cautiously scooped her up and moved her to a cozy new home in one of our bird enclosures. Oh! And we gave her a name… because why not! Meet Tholakele, which means “Found” in Ndebele.

Fun facts about weavers (aka why Tholakele is keeping us on our toes)

• Master builders: They weave the most complex nests in the bird kingdom (hence the name).

• Social butterflies: They prefer to live in colonies.

• Temperature experts: Their nests are well-insulated for extreme weather.

• Noisy neighbours: They have loud, harsh calls.

• Smart cookies: The baya weaver is known for being highly intelligent and obedient.

So, we knew we had our work cut out for us. Tholakele wasn’t about to settle for a mediocre setup. She needed the perfect temperature, companionship and just enough peace so that the more introverted animals at the lodge wouldn’t start sending us noise complaints.

It was a challenge, but SO FAR we’ve pulled it off. Looking at how quickly she’s recovering, and how active she is, we’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. And now, we can officially add "experienced bird carers" to our ever-growing list of random skills.

Now, Tholakele has become part of the daily rhythm at the lodge. She gets her meals on time, stays warm and is growing stronger every day. We like to think she’s settling in - perhaps even enjoying the VIP treatment a little too much. Since she’s so tiny and delicate, everyone tiptoes around her, terrified that even a sudden movement might give her a heart attack.

As we watch her flutter about, we can’t help but wonder - when she’s strong enough, will she stay? Or will she take to the skies and return to the wild? Whatever she chooses, one thing is certain: Tholakele has already become a big part of our family here at Gwango.

We’ve also learned a lot from this little bird - the smallest of creatures can sometimes teach the biggest lessons (and make the biggest tweets - she can be so demanding at times..!!).