Our first success story!

Hello Friends of Elephant Havens,

We’ve had the most exciting month – our first interaction with an elephant calf in need! Our team was notified about an abandoned baby elephant in the panhandle of Botswana. Taps and Bee immediately jumped into action. With the government’s approval, we contacted the vet and got all the equipment necessary to rescue this darling little girl in need.

Once we located her, the vet estimated her age to be about 1 to 2 years old. Because she was a little older and seemed to not be under physical stress, we decided to follow the little gal and be sure she was safe. We thought that she might be able to locate her original herd before she became too weak if we just gave her a little time. She was thin but grazing on small plants, and the vet, Bee and Taps thought it possible that she was strong enough to find either her herd or another one that would accept her. Most worrisome was that she was still at the age where she needs mother’s milk.

Well, the good news is that this little pachyderm found her herd! With the help of the men following her, she was able to rejoin them. This is our first success story at Elephant Havens. Bee and Taps were on the move and awake for about 5 nights, but it was well worth it. We were also able to prove to the government that we were willing and able to rescue this little girl.

But of course it’s always one step forward, two steps back. Happily, I am getting used to this dance and I’m still enjoying it. The government of Botswana loves our plan and is very supportive. Taps and Bee have spent the last two weeks with the vice president of the country getting all the guidelines in place to be sure we have all the approvals before we actually start building. In hindsight, maybe we should have built first and then asked for forgiveness later – but that’s not Scott’s and my nature.

The government has given us all the necessary approvals, only we have to acquire more land. Of course acquiring more land means acquiring more money. We are looking at two options — buying more open land or buying an existing game farm. Scott and I will be going to Botswana next week to study both options.

I know with your help we can make this dream come true. Please think of us for your holiday giving. I promise every penny will go to this amazing cause. You all have been invaluable to us and we hope that you will continue to support Elephant Havens. You all have made Scott and I so thankful this year.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving,
Debra