Posted by Roxy Danckwerts, the founder of Wild Is Life (WIL), has spent years caring for orphaned baby elephants, offering them a chance to recover and grow in a safe environment.
Recently, she accompanied seven of these elephants on a 700-mile journey to a new home, where they will be reintegrated into the wild.
The move was a bittersweet moment for Roxy as she said goodbye to the elephants she had nurtured and loved.
The final moments before the journey were filled with tender hugs and affectionate touches, highlighting the strong bond between Roxy and these animals.
This relocation represents a significant milestone in Roxy’s mission to give orphaned elephants a second chance.
She escorted them from the Harare, Zimbabwe nursery to a reserve near Victoria Falls, on the country’s western border.
The sanctuary there is designed to help the elephants learn the skills they need to live independently and eventually join wild herds.
Transporting the seven elephants, weighing around ten tons, required careful planning and execution.
The process began with tranquilizer darts to sedate the elephants, followed by specialized teams monitoring their vital signs, such as breathing and heart rate.
They were then lifted onto flatbed trucks using cranes and carefully transported to the reserve in a 30-ton lorry. The entire journey took 17 hours.
Among the elephants was Bumi, a three-year-old male rescued when he was just one month old. He had become trapped among rocks and suffered severe sunburn.
Another was Moyo, the first elephant Roxy rescued in 2014. She had been found just days old, stranded in deep water during heavy rains.
Roxy’s work with orphaned elephants has made a lasting impact on the lives of these gentle giants. She expressed mixed emotions as she watched the elephants depart, saying, “It’s a moment filled with joy and sorrow.
I’m thrilled they’re returning to a life in the wild, yet I’ll miss them deeply. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions. They’ve come full circle. I’m proud, content, and sad.”
Despite her sadness at saying goodbye, Roxy knows this is the best outcome for the elephants. She hopes the strong bonds they formed at the nursery will help them adjust to their new surroundings and thrive in the wild.
This relocation is part of a broader effort by WIL and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to rehabilitate and release elephants into protected environments.
Roxy’s commitment to wildlife conservation has profoundly affected both the elephants she cares for and the broader effort to protect these majestic creatures.
This journey marks a new chapter for these seven elephants and a hopeful sign for the future of elephant conservation in Zimbabwe.