GARGANTUAN EFFORT

 

It's no secret that I have a great love of animals and Mother Earth over humans. I have long been a advocate for animals, and my soft spot is especially for that of elephants. I have no idea where my love for them came, except it's been there since my wee youth. If I could, I would sell all my earthly belongings to an elephant sanctuary, and then volunteer my time in loo of food and board to be able to work and be a caretaker at one. It's been a long dream of mine. I hope someday, to up and leave and head off to Kenya and do just that. But this is to raise awareness for World Elephant Day! Today is World Elephant Day, August 12th. The inaugural day was launched to bring attention to these highly intelligent, gargantuan, yet little babies, of the plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we are on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature, like so many other species.

The escalation of greed, sport hunting, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both variety of elephants. Working toward better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving habitats, better treatment of captive elephants and when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

These creatures are highly social and do indeed have very long memories. Our dear and very generous Agnes Goldberg-DeWoofs two Christmases ago, gifted me with a membership, and a choice of elephant to adopt at the very important Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, in my name. It's my go too, and usually give a donation to them several times a year since. What a great organization.  It operates an orphan elephant rescue and wildlife rehabilitation program in Kenya and was founded in 1977 by Dame Daphne Sheldrick to honor her late husband David Sheldrick and to this day still run by their daughter Angela. They do amazing work and have rehabbed 100's of elephants, to be released back in the wild. It's a tight run organization, and I have learned a lot just by their Instagram and their live feeds which I never miss. Dame Daphne was the only person to finally perfect a milk recipe to be like that of mother elephants, that they could raise the baby calves on. Some elephants, once released, years later will drop by and still remember their human caretakers.

I've witness one of their elephants named Murera, who walked on a poisoned dart as a baby, beat the odds simply by surviving this grisly injury, let alone becoming the leader of her own elephant herd. But matriarchs don't let another walk alone. Murera knows her limitations. Her hind legs will always be compounded and cannot move as fast as the others. So every day, another matriarch named Lima Lima, acts as Murera's deputy, and will lead her and the herd in the approved direction, while Murera will not let another elephant go behind her, and bring up the rear with her caretaker.  It's humbling to see such teamwork.

This above is a very special family portrait. If you can believe it the rescued Icholta, left, one of my adoptive elephants was rescued last century. Over the last 24 years, she's faced a lot. After a near death poach gone wrong as a baby, she spent her infancy at the trust. Over the years she was taught how to become a wild elephant. Since then, she became a mother, and had Inca in 2016, and barley a day into 2022, she came back to the trust to show off her newest calf, Issy, the littlest one. It's so rare for a three-generation family to happen anymore. And it's nice to watch the family flourish. And these creatures never seem to forget their caretaker, even after years of not seeing them, just be scent!!!

 

So, on World Elephant Day, why not get educated on this wonderous species. Learn about them. Spread the awareness of the threat they face, and express your concern, share your knowledge and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants. The Sheldrick Trust Instagram never ceases to amaze me daily, with laughter and sometime tears... and is a good example of an account doing some good and what social media should be here doing. And if your so inclined to go further, you can go to Support World Elephant Day to see ways and organizations doing good work and places to give, or I highly recommend donating to The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

I've never seen such a large creature that can be still so gentle.