Incredible Woman’s Efforts Lead Orphaned Elephants to Thrive in the Wild
The odds were against them after a traumatic start to life, but thanks to their rescuer’s extraordinary care and devotion, orphaned baby elephants not only survived but flourished.
Watch the video at the end.
Roxy Danckwerts, the compassionate force behind the elephant nursery run by her charity Wild Is Life (WIL) in Harare, Zimbabwe, had nurtured and raised seven elephants, including Bumi and Moyo.
These elephants were now embarking on a significant step towards a new life in the wild.
With mixed emotions, Danckwerts bid farewell to the elephants she had rehabilitated. Tearful but determined, she watched them depart for a sanctuary 700 miles away, where they would learn to live independently and eventually reintegrate with wild herds in the Panda Masuie Forest Reserve.
The journey was a colossal endeavor, captured vividly in striking photographs. These magnificent creatures, weighing ten tons, were sedated, monitored, and gently hoisted by their feet onto a flatbed truck, which would take them on a 17-hour journey to their new home.
Among these remarkable elephants was Bumi, rescued at just one-month-old in 2019. He had endured the scorching heat and sunburn, trapped among rocks.
Unity was brought to the nursery in 2017 due to her mother’s inability to produce milk during a drought. Sienna, saved from malnutrition after being found alone at 15 months old, accompanied him.
Moyo, the first elephant rescued by WIL, had her own touching story. Stranded in water during heavy rains in 2014 when she was just days old, she found a second chance at life through Danckwerts’s dedication.
Moyo regarded her as a mother and became a source of comfort and guidance for other orphans at the nursery.
As these elephants left for their new home, Danckwerts expressed her complex emotions. She stated, “It’s a bittersweet moment.
I’m so glad they’re returning to a proper life in the wild. But I’ll miss them all. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. They’ve come full circle. I’m proud, happy, and sad.”
This journey marked another chapter in Danckwerts’s tireless efforts to save orphaned elephants.
She had already made a significant impact, rescuing numerous baby elephants since establishing her unique nursery, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.
With this group’s successful transport, Danckwerts’s work continues as more orphans find their way to her sanctuary.
Undoubtedly, more unforgettable moments will be in store, shaping a brighter future for these remarkable elephants.
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