Thursday, October 1, 2020

PASSIONS


We all know gin , men and travel are some of my passions. But first and foremost my love for the earth and animals has also been a hot button topic and a love passion since childhood. It never stops amazing me how we treat this planet, it's environment and the animals who share it. It's probably at an all time high for many animals and species becoming extinct, as we keep tearing up more land because we are way over populated. It's also why I get angry when people feel the need to consume odd  foods and delicacies. We already have enough food to eat without having to consume every fucking thing that moves. But thats another very heated story with me. This passion has to do with my love for elephants and giraffes. I've always been enthralled with them both, and both are grossly facing extinction due to snaring, being hunted, getting caught in traps meant for other smaller animals and the razing of land. It's quite sad. When Daddy Warbuck's and I traveled to Newport once, his friend came with us. Somehow it came up about me wanting to help the creatures. He knew someone who put me in touch with  and got me involved in a elephant sanctuary. And I've been in love ever since. It's the next best thing to being there I suppose.

The place is in Kenya and called the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Founded in 1977 by Dr Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE, in memory of her late husband, famous naturalist and founding Warden of Tsavo East National Park, David Leslie William Sheldrick MBE. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust claims a rich and deeply rooted family history in wildlife and conservation. For over 25 years Kenya-born Daphne Sheldrick lived and worked alongside David, during which time they raised and successfully rehabilitated many wild species. Daphne Sheldrick’s involvement with wildlife spanned a lifetime, and she was a recognized international authority on the rearing of wild creatures and was the first person to perfect the milk formula and husbandry needed to successfully raise infant milk-dependent Elephants and Rhinos. Since the death of her husband, Daphne, and her family, lived and worked in the Nairobi National Park where they built The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and its pioneering Orphans’ Project into the global force for wildlife conservation that is today. Daphne's daughter Angela worked alongside her mother running the Trust for twenty years, and since Daphne’s passing, sadly in 2018, it continues the mission with passion and vigor ably supported by her husband Robert Carr-Hartley, their two sons Taru and Roan and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust team.

Daphne Sheldrick died of cancer aged 83.⁣ ⁣ She helped save the lives of more than 230 elephants - many of which had lost their mothers to poachers or drought - by developing a milk formula and successfully rearing them.⁣ ⁣ Her Kenyan charity is world-renowned for its care of orphaned elephants.⁣ ⁣ Dame Daphne "lived alongside elephants and learned to read their hearts.In some ways she is a  hero on so many levels. It has been two years since her passing and she is still missed so very much. After following them and new letters and video with my account were the ones that taught me about Conservation and what the word really meant. And her legacy lives on. 
As the human population expands, pushing wildlife to the very brink of extinction and wild habitats to the edge of destruction, the Sheldrick Trust is determined to reverse the effects of the past and prevent the effects of the present, in the hope for a better future for both wildlife and mankind.The long term goal of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is to secure safe havens for wildlife, through the effective management and protection of key ecosystems and wilderness areas in Kenya.
Baby elephants often sleep under their mother's care, but with no mother the nursery caretakers often sleep next to them to give them comfort.

Elephant are quite remarkable creatures and highly social animals. For one, they really do have very long memories. When the babies are born, it's important for them to use their trunks quickly as it helps them forge bonds with others and as many elephants as possible. Through the touch and smelling of others and the bond has taken, they can go years and years without seeing each other, but when the day comes down the road they will instantly remember each other. And humans as well they bond with A matriarch of a herd will usually teach young ones how to behave with other elephants, and are also responsible for remembering where the best places are to shelter and find food and water.
I makes me very happy to know other liked minded people are out there and care for these and other animals. One day, I hope to be able to go in person to see the wildlife preserve and meet the elephant I have adopted named Malima, a four year old female. 
And here is a small filmed video they sent me of a gather of the elephants.

With my adoption I get email updates on her and the going- ons at the preserve, adoption certificate, a monthly watercolor painted by the daughter Angela and videos and online content. I would also like to give more money and adopt a giraffe, but will hold off till I starting working again. Mistress Maddie's #1 Fan and I have on our bucket list to go to Nairobi to go to a giraffe sanctuary to stay for two weeks, which I also wait to do one day. The trip is a all inclusive trip which is nice... and all interactive, as the giraffes roam free on the planation preserve ...but that will be pushed back now depending on travel with the virus, if it's still around next summer. We shall wait and see.  If my mother was passed on already, god forbid, and me not working currently, I would in a heartbeat sell or giving everything I have to this place and up and leave to go work with this organization in a minute. Ever since I first rode an elephant it was love at first sight...and I often just get tears of happy and sadness over these creatures. And then I came across this guy some time go on a recommendation,  for he also has a love for elephants. You watch and tell me these creatures are great and have feelings and should be treasured.


If anyone has a love for elephants and others animals, wants to know more about this place or possibly adopt or donate to them in the future, here is the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust site. If you ever do donate to a wildlife organization do your online research first and make sure they actually do good work, humanely, treat the animals well,  and are a legitimate organization too.

38 comments:

  1. Aww... you made me cry first thing in the morning! Thanks for this very special post and for all you do for these special creatures. Lots of information! So great to read. I recently read that there is a bacteria affecting the wild elephant population and they are only beginning to understand its effects. Read it on the Raw Story newsfeed. Anyway... thanks for the vids and pics. Very beautiful... just like you!

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    1. yes your correct. I did read that also. It was in Zimbabwean national park and 34 elephants were found with bacteria infection called haemorrhagic septicaemia. So far since the beginning of September no more death, but I don't think they have found much about it, except when caught, it causes a sudden death. Hopefully they can keep it contained in just Zimbabwe.

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  2. I'm gonna share this with Carlos because animals, and especially elephants, are his passion, too!
    Thanks for sharing this one.

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  3. awwwwww, the little baby elephant sleeping with the human! I am going to share this post with my friend sassybear; he LOVES giraffes!

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    1. I would love to be able to do that! And it's a hot country!

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  4. Maddie!
    This is so very sweet! Adopting an elephant! You see, this is a good idea for someone like me, who does not have pets. They're doing a fantastic job because really, poachers are the scum of the earth. The photo of the baby elephant sleeping!
    What a great way to start my day.

    XOXO

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    1. I just bit the bullet and did it two years ago. I love it and them for doing this. I 'd give even more if I could. I swear, Im going to end up there one day helping somehow.

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  5. Many loves to you!!!
    take care, xoxo :-)

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  6. Animals are a treasure and should be treated as such. Elephants - I've always wanted to meet one. And giraffes, too. They appear to be such gentle creatures. I say brava, Mistress. And, a million smooches inn thanks. 💋💋💋💋

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  7. As you already know, animals [of all kinds] tug at my heart strings more than just about anything else, and these pics just crush me, while the video made me weep so much, and immediately, that I couldn't watch most of it, it having already left an indelible mark in my psyche.
    When watching the news if a segment is about an animal or any number of them, even if it's a 'happy' one such as being rescued or up to some funny antics, I've just got to switch channels as its effect goes so deep that I cannot function.
    And it's ever so heartening to see that already from the responses to this post I am probably by no means alone. Even if it's maybe not quite to the same extent that I'm affected, there are undoubtedly millions on millions of us.

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    1. The vid I refer to is, of course, the one with the poor, blind sweetie.

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    2. And that is the comforting port, hoping and knowing there are more of us out there.

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  8. What wonderful work, and what a very lovely and worthwhile effort to support, Maddie!

    I, too, may have welled up at the piano-playing for that blind elephant (I've got a couple of his other videos in my YouTube history that cause a moistening of eyeballs, too).

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    1. Oh me too Mr DeVice.I think we need a group hug. I swear I won't cop a feel.

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  9. Man was put on this earth to take care of the animals and the planet. Man has dropped the ball, big time!
    I love baby elephants! I tear up every time one of those abused animal commercials come on. I can't watch them. I don't feel the same for the ones about people. Is that twisted or what? You have a good heart, Mads. Protect it sweetie.

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    1. Hell no Deedles! You know where I stand with humans. I just really a old soul, with many more ties to earth and animals then humans. If I said what I really thought of people I'd be committed. One wonders why they can't all be like out friends and family and my readers.

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    2. I do the same thing Deedles. And I even donate to them and still bawl.

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  10. I can understand not going now because of you and your mothers bond...but I hope you day you go for it! I can feel it's your passion. If you went we'd miss you, but it does a heart good to know like you said there are people out there that care. I can't believe people would pay to kill these docile creatures..and in most cases for only a horn or tusk. Depictable. I hate people.

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  11. Good for you! As if I needed another reminder of why I so admire you. But I have to admit I wondered where you were going with the title PASSIONS and that elephant's trunk!

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  12. A wonderful organization doing important work!

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  13. I already thought is was great you volunteer with the local ASPCA but you never revealed you adopted a elephant and shared this place. Can you even imagine seeing this place in person? That will be some trip you two take when you go, and I do hope you can go help them one day. To give everything up show the passion. I already adored you. And we have Dame Daphne Sheldrick and her caring to thank for all this. I will have to check the link out. After my tears dry. Amazing work by this group, Thank you to all who help and give to these wild animals.

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  14. Hell. I'll join you when you go. I too have always loved elephants...and this place is great. I just learned that elephants mourn their dead, but I didn't know they revisited the remains. I find that is amazing. We have a lot to learn about compassion from these elephants. Many videos like these should distributed to influence China's market for ivory. I believe it's seen as a old world tradition/superstition, but it NEEDS TO GO NOW. I also agree with the eating of everything. I mean why people have to eat certain things is way beyond me. And you will never see me eat octopus....one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.

    A heart you, hard!

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  15. Madam Daphne is a hero not only to beautiful Kenya, but to the world as a whole!!! Your still so full of surprises.

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  16. Oh I so loved that you did this Mistress. Even though I did get a bit teary eyed.Just an amazing creature , SO small and cute , cuddly and playful YET to become the biggest walking creature on this earth. We have a lot to learn from these majestic creatures. Empathy, Compassion and most of all FAMILY.

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  17. Wonderful... Amazing Wonderful !!!!

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  18. This is touching. Many won't know the beauty of these animals and our planet till sadly it's torn up , burned, we've eaten and killed the animals ....till it's all gone. And then sadly most still won't care.

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    1. Your right. It's like the case of the white rhino...sadly only two, TWO left in the world. Sad.

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  19. OMG, this is so beautiful! I too hope you one day get to go there and help and live.

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  20. More pressure must be put on the ivory market so that poaching will be curtailed and eventually eliminated. Someone needs to tell the Chinese it's the year 2020. Old world tradition and "special medicines" are a thing of the past. I've long thought that those climate control boards that are international should also include animals rights and protections Excellent post

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    1. There is absolutely no reason for ivory-none.

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  21. I didn't know that you liked elephants! I always think of my dear departed mother-in-law when I think of elephants. They were her favorite animal and we inherited a portion of her collection of figures after she died, most of which are displayed in our home. Elephants make wonderful mothers, so it was appropriate that she like them best of all animals--she was a mother that loved her kids (even the married in ones) fiercely and devotedly.

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    1. Yes!!!! I used to have three shelves full of elephants when I lived home. The shelves gave one day and almost all the elephants broke.

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  22. You got me.... aw, got me right in the feels with this post! Brilliant and good to get out there. I had no idea you donated and adopted a elephant. That is amazing! I could wrote so much to this post but will refrain. To go see that one day would be quite am amazing experience. Put you mind to it and you'll end up there. If it's your passion I say go for it.

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  23. Wonderful and inspiring post. We could all learn something from this post.

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  24. It's when you do post like this we really know your a real sweet heart. And Im sure the earth and animals are glad to have you and other as allies. That second video got to me...it's so nice the man does that for the elphants.

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  25. Thank you everybody for your kind comments! Why can't there be more of all of us?

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!