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Luangwa (Zambia) elephant rescue
Most
conservationists believe that man should not meddle with
the natural order and that we should allow nature to run
her course however cruel or grim it seems to be. We
agree on the whole, unless a wildlife problem has been
created by man (for instance in the case of snaring or
being trapped in a fence, in which case it's justifiable
to intervene) then nature should be left to her own
devices. She has a plan.
However - every rule has an exception and the dreadful
plight of a baby elephant trapped in the mud of the
Kapani Lagoon and her mother, who had also got stuck
trying to save her yesterday had us all in a frenzy of
activity. We simply could not stand by and watch them
struggle and slowly die. South Luangwa Conservation
Society together with our neighbours - ZAWA - the
wildlife authority - agreed with us and we all joined
forces to try and save the mum and baby. I usually try
to keep the newsletters short, but I hope you'll forgive
me for making an exception with this one and agree that
this story is worth a little extra time and attention.
Abraham got these great photos of the unfolding
drama...... |
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The
family herd desperately trying to help the screaming Mum
and baby escape but they were completely stuck in the
deep, rapidly drying mud with no chance of getting out
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The
brave and skilled SLCS team manages to slip a rope under
the baby, narrowly avoiding mums thrashing trunk - and
starts to haul her out ..... |
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Nearly
there - the whole team is hauling as hard as they
can..... But the baby is terribly frightened and
won't leave mum's side.... |
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Again
- she's out and we think we're almost there...... But
despite my frantic waving and shouting - she won't leave
her mum.... |
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One
more try - the team pull her further away from mum this
time..... They unwrap the ropes and help her to her
feet.... |
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This
time - thanks to a young herd cousin calling her to
safety..... she makes a dash for it as the rest of the
herd scream for her to come to them.... |
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Now
back to mum who is dehydrated and exhausted - we've been
pouring water over her to try to protect her from the
scorching midday sun. SLCS staff carefully slip a rope
under her.... |
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and
the tractor starts to pull and pull - inching her out of
what would have been a muddy grave - she seems to sense
that there's a chance of escape and begins to struggle
for her life.. |
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With
us all shouting encouragment and just willing her to
keep going "come on Mama, come on Mama"....... to the
delight of us all - she makes it! Weak and wobbly she
drags herself out |
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and
runs to find her baby and the rest of her waiting herd!
The happiest possible ending! |
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The
SLCS team all share a celebratory drink on the Kapani
deck with our relieved guests! |
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This
is all in a day’s work for the amazing Rachel McRobb and
her outstanding team at The South Luangwa Conservation
Society. Go to
www.slcszambia.org <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=1062392287&msgid=5783096&act=HWYE&c=46524&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slcszambia.org>
- it’s a fantastic site and well worth a visit. You
will be amazed at what this relatively small group can
achieve – their dedication and commitment to wildlife is
inspiring.
Together with our local wildlife authority – the South
Luangwa Area Management Unit of the Zambia Wildlife
Authority, they are extremely effective at anti-poaching
activities including anti-snaring and patrolling in
vulnerable areas of the National Park. Rachel and her
team are also skilled at darting snared animals,
removing the snares and treating the horrific wounds
they cause.
Their awareness raising activities and work with other
local conservation groups are incredibly effective. Of
course – this all takes money so please consider
becoming a regular supporter.
Our MD Dave Wilson and NCS Director Adrian Carr are both
active trustees in SLCS.It was extremely heartening for
us all to see how many local people joined in the
efforts to free these two elephants – the cheers of joy,
first when the baby ran to his cousin and then when Mum
was finally released from the jaws of the sticky,
cloying mud were wonderful! Everyone seemed to identify
with the mum’s plight - we all saw the incredible
emotional bond between the worried herd members and mum
and baby. Thank you SLCS and ZAWA and also all the NCS
staff who bravely fought to make this a happy ending!
Christina (Gid)
Posted
on this site: 3 Decmeber 2011 |
Bo
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