Progress Report for March, 2018
Scott and I have just returned from another wonderful and rewarding trip to Botswana. I had an opportunity to spend quality time with my baby elephant, Naledi, who is now 4 years old and was raised by our directors and elephant handlers, Taps and Bee at Abu Camp. We are thrilled to announce they are now both working full-time for Elephant Havens. Besides acquiring bids and working on construction designs for our fencing and facilities, they work constantly to educate communities on the dangers which face baby orphan elephants and to create solutions for human to wildlife conflicts.
We have learned that young orphaned elephants will not generally survive if they are fed cow’s milk. This is a chronic problem encountered by our team in good-intentioned local communities. Taps and Bee are conveying this urgent message in the communities and are educating communities to contact Elephant Havens immediately upon learning of an orphaned baby elephant so that our folks can provide proper care.
An important new board member has joined Elephant Havens and we are proud and thrilled to welcome James Currie. Currie is a birding expert, conservation advocate, and host of both Nikon’s Birding Adventures TV and Nat Geo Wild’s Aerial Assassins. He has also written a book, When Eagles Roar, about his time as a professional safari guide, and has made a soon to be released documentary, Last of the Big Tuskers. This film will focus on the life of Isilo, a big tusker elephant and what attempts are being made to save the last remaining 22 big tuskers. He is truly inspirational.
We are happy to announce James Currie has donated a safari for an Elephant Havens benefit auction! Details of the event are being crafted with hopes of also bringing James to Dallas for a lecture on his life’s work.
Please continue to tell your friends about Elephant Havens and remember we still have an open pledge of matching funds of up to $250,000. Scott and I are overwhelmed by the generosity and support we have already received for this project and welcome any and all advice to help progress and improve our fundraising efforts to complete our dream of an elephant orphanage and conservation project in Botswana.
– Debra
2 Comments
I just watched the Vulcan production of the story of Naledi and I was HORRIFIED at the clumsy, amateurish way this orphan was treated. I have visited the Sheldrick elephant orphanage in Nairobi and adopted a baby elephant so I get the monthly newsletter. Did the people failing miserably to take care of the baby ever call Sheldrick for advice? They know what they are doing in contrast to the people at Abu Camp. This was painfully obvious as the workers tried to get the baby to take a bottle while holding it wrongly, the small size of the bottle they used, and finally releasing the baby into the wild to eat palm leaves way before it was ready. Thus, surgery was required to remove the block of its intestines leading to its near death from anesthesia. Oh My God. Those people had no clue what they were doing and there are experts in Kenya. The baby would have been better off shipped to Sheldrick!!! This show is horrifying to anyone who knows anything about orphan baby elephant rescue and if I had any power, I would work to shut down that operation or at the very least, make them go to Kenya and learn something about elephant rescue.
I believe Sheldrick did give them advice on Naledi, but I do not have personal knowledge of that. Also the team at Abu returned Naledi to her existing herd where she had Aunties and sisters but never left her side always having a bottle ready when she was hungry. I personally have a very close relationship with Naledi and her care was top notch. They were successful saving Naledi. It is surprising how very delicate baby elephants are which is something no one ever talks about. Sheldrick would NEVER take an orphan from another country. Sheldrick has refused to provide Elephant Havens any advice at all. This made me very sad. I too had been a donor and supporter of Sheldrick for many years and found it very disappointing. They have 40 + years of experience and I wish they were more helpful. I would love to talk to you about this and would welcome a call anytime.
Debra Stevens
Elephant Havens
co-founder
972 620 1365
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