Wild is Life Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery: an oasis of hope for orphaned elephants—and the planet

Humans
can
call
states
of
emergency
and
offer
aid
to
people
and
communities,
but
wildlife
survives
alone.
They
compete
for
many
of
the
same
resources
as
neighbouring
human
communities,
resulting
in
conflict
between
people
and
wildlife.

The
Wild
is
Life
Zimbabwe
Elephant
Nursery
(WIL–ZEN) in
Harare
and
its
release
site
in Panda
Masuie are
havens
for
those
orphaned
by
such
human-wildlife
conflicts
and
the
effects
of
severe
drought.
In
November,
when
the
dry
season
should
have
been
coming
to
an
end,
they
took
in
three
orphaned
elephants,
each
unique
individuals
with
their
own
histories
and
personalities,
and
all
with
the
same
bright
future
ahead,
thanks
to
the
carers
and
handlers
of
WIL–ZEN
and
the
Panda
Masuie
Release
Project.

From
conflict
to
community  

Often,
the
fate
of
an
orphan’s
natal
herd
and
mother
are
unknown.
They
are
found
wandering
alone,
and
when
rangers
are
unable
to
find
the
herd,
they
call
in
the
carers
of
WIL–ZEN
to
take
them
in.

Maggie,
however,
was
not
found
alone.
The
rescue
team
at
Panda
Masuie
received
the
call
of
an
eight-month-old
elephant
standing
next
to
the
body
of
her
deceased
mother.
Traumatised
by
what
she
had
witnessed
but
otherwise
in
decent
health,
the
team
brought
her
back
to
the
safety
of
the
bomas.

There,
she
met
the
herd
who
welcomed
her
in
and
made
her
feel
at
home.
Food,
water,
and
medical
care
aren’t
the
only
things
orphaned
elephants
need.
To
truly
heal
and
begin
the
process
of
rewilding,
they
need
companionship,
empathy,
and
community.

Maggie
has
found
that
here
with
Norah,
Annabelle,
and
Summer.
Maggie
and
Summer,
being
of
similar
age,
spend
much
of
their
time
together
exploring
and
playing.
Summer,
daughter
to
Annabelle,
was
a
surprise
birth
in
February
2024
at
the
Panda
Masuie
Release
Project.
Summer
has
helped
the
nursery
feel
like
home
for
Maggie.

It
will
take
time,
and
Maggie
has
a
lot
of
growing
to
do
before
she
returns
to
the
wild,
but
she
is
already
on
her
way
to
healing
from
the
traumas
she’s
endured,
thanks
to
the
human
handlers
and
elephant
family
at
Panda
Masuie.

Finding
family

Murphy’s
road
to
the
Panda
Masuie
Release
Project
is
a
bit
of
a
mystery.
He
was
first
spotted
at
Murphy’s
Pan
watering
hole
(his
namesake)
with
three
bulls.
It
isn’t
often
that
orphaned
elephants
seek
out
bulls.
But
by
following
the
males,
Murphy
was
afforded
protection
and
was
able
to
find
water.

He
had
been
to
the
watering
hole
a
few
times,
and
each
time,
he
looked
worse
for
wear.
The
rangers
could
see
that
intervention
was
needed
if
Murphy
was
going
to
survive.
When
the
bulls
went
to
forage
and
Murphy
couldn’t
keep
up,
Murphy
was
left
alone
at
the
watering
hole,
vulnerable
to
attack—but
luckily,
this
made
him
easier
to
rescue.

The
brave
team
managed
to
get
Murphy
alone
and
bring
him
back
to
Panda
Masuie. He
was
only
a
yearling,
severely
underweight
and
dehydrated.
While
the
human
handlers
could
fix
that,
only
an
elephant
could
help
heal
Murphy’s
unseen
wounds,
the
trauma
of
his
life
prior
to
rescue.

Moyo,
who
had
been
matriarch
to
the
orphans
back
at
WIL–ZEN
in
Harare
and
now
is
at
Panda
Masuie,
jumped
at
the
chance
to
get
her
old
job
back.
Previously
she
had
taken
on
the
role
of
adoptive
mother
for
Sienna,
a
rescued
calf
suffering
from
malnutrition.

Moyo
took
to
Murphy
immediately,
and
he
to
her.
She
encouraged
him
to
drink
water
and
milk,
and
she
has
been
teaching
Murphy
all
things
elephant.
There
are
just
some
things
an
elephant
needs
that
no
human
can
give
them.
Murphy
does
not
leave
Moyo’s
side.
Moyo
teaches
Murphy
how
to
use
his
trunk,
forage,
and
communicate—essential
skills
he
will
need
for
survival
in
the
wild.
In
Moyo’s
herd,
every
day
is
a
learning
experience.

Murphy
has
a
long
was
to
go
to
become
fully
healthy,
but
every
day
is
a
step
toward
health,
happiness,
and
eventually,
back
to
the
wild
with
a
bright
future.

An
adoptive
mother’s
care

Hundreds
of
kilometers
from
Panda
Masuie
at
the
Save
Valley
Conservancy,
a
five-month-old
elephant
wandered
into
a
ranger’s
camp.
The
rangers
tried
to
find
her
natal
herd,
but
she
was
very
much
alone.
They
called
in
WIL–ZEN,
and
rescuers
brought
her
to
the
nursery
in
Harare.

Sometimes
being
rescued
can
be
just
as
terrifying
as
being
alone
in
the
wild.
Nina,
named
after
the
life-giving
La
Niña
rainfalls
Zimbabwe
and
neighbouring
countries
need
so
much
during
this
extended
drought,
had
very
tough
time
adjusting
to
being
saved.

She
was
scared
and
stressed,
circling
the
stable
endlessly
and
continuously
crying.
The
staff
of
WIL–ZEN
is
well-versed
in
elephant
care,
and
they
know
that
sometimes
what
an
elephant
needs
more
than
anything
else
is
simply
another
elephant.

They
brought
in
Kadiki,
a
young
matriarch
in
the
making,
and
she
knew
just
what
to
do.
Over
the
years,
she
has
been
integral
in
helping
new
orphans
adjust
to
life
in
the
nursery.
Kadiki
worked
her
magic,
and
soon
Nina
became
calm.

Nina
is
a
kind,
gentle
calf.
She
spends
much
of
her
day
with
Kadiki
and
her
herd.
She
is
bonding
with
her
human
carers
as
well,
accepting
milk
from
them
and
becoming
more
comfortable
in
their
presence.
Everyone
looks
forward
to
watching
her
blossom
and
to
see
who
she
becomes
on
her
journey
back
to
the
wild.

The
lasting
impact
of
an
individual

Each
orphan
rescued
is
a
massive
undertaking
involving
extensive
amounts
of
food,
water,
supplies,
and
time.
Each
one
is
worth
every
sprout,
drop
of
water,
and
minute
spent.
At
IFAW,
every
individual
animal
matters,
not
just
as
an
individual
but
as
an
irreplaceable
part
of
the
whole.

Elephants
are
a keystone
species.
Their
survival
is
key
to
many
other
animals.
They
are ecosystem
engineers,
redesigning
the
landscape
and
combatting climate
change with
every
step
they
take.
They
dig
through
dry
waterbeds
to
unearth
hidden
streams,
consume
dangerously
dry
vegetation
that
could
otherwise
potentially
combust
in
the
scorching
temperatures,
and
spread
seeds
through
their
roaming.
Their
massive
bodies
plow
through
the
underbrush
and
change
the
very
geography
beneath
their
feet,
aiding
in carbon
sequestration.
They
help
protect
the
planet,
simply
by
being
alive.

This
is
why
IFAW
is
dedicated
to
supporting
the
rescue,
rehabilitation,
and
release
of
elephants.
Every
individual
matters
in
the
fight
to
save
these
precious
ecosystems.

Hope
never
dries
up

WIL–ZEN
is
not
immune
to
the
effects
of
the
drought.
The
carers
are
working
in
40-
to
45-degree
Celsius
heat
every
day.
Water
and
food
are
not
abundant
by
any
means,
but
the
staff
is
resilient
and
adaptable,
finding
ways
of
conserving
resources
like
supplementing
elephant
feed
with
alfalfa.

Orphans
are
doing
more
than
just
surviving
under
WIL–ZEN’s
care;
they’re
thriving.
And
that’s
in
large
part
due
to
the
elements
that
a
drought
cannot
take
from
them—community,
compassion,
and
perseverance.
Every
carer,
both
human
and
elephant,
is
dedicated
to
rehabilitating
each
and
every
orphan
in
their
care
to
get
them
back
where
they
belong:
the
wild.

WIL–ZEN
and
IFAW’s
rescue
efforts
reach
beyond
the
individual
being
taken
in.
WIL-ZEN
in
Harare
and
the
Panda
Masuie
Release
Project
aren’t
just
nurseries
and
rehabilitation
centers
for
rewilding.
They
are
an
oasis
of
hope,
both
for
the
individual
calves
and
the
future
of
the
species.