Big Beasts and Great Works
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In April this year, John and Nicci were thrilled to have their eldest daughter, Briar and her 20-month old son, Oscar, come to visit from Australia. Oscar was born in Australia and had never seen the wild African animals or the beautiful bush around which his grandparents’ lives and work revolve. John was especially keen for Oscar to meet the gentle giants of the wild - a rhino and an elephant. So an expedition to Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation was planned…
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Oscar meets Tatenda, Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation
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This newsletter celebrates the elephants and rhinos of Africa; beautiful, gentle, big beasts that have lived on our continent for centuries and now face complete annihilation in our lifetime.
“We hope that you are as interested in reading about the hard work, hope and help that is going on out there every minute of every day - so that future generations can enjoy these wonderful creatures in the wild for a long time to come.” John Stevens
Since 2008, there has been a massively increased demand for ivory from China and the Far East. Ivory prices have soared from $200 a pound in 2004 to in excess of $1500 a pound today. Some experts estimate that as many as 35,000 elephants a year are being slaughtered, 10% of Africa's elephant population each year alone. And the killing isn't limited to just elephants. Powdered rhino horn is now more expensive than gold.
(Excerpt from https://biglife.org/on-the-ground/anti-poaching)
What you need to know
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African elephants in the wild
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Black rhinos
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1979
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1,300,000
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1970
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65,000
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Today
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250,000
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Today
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2,300
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N.B. These figures are accurate at time of putting together this newsletter.
Source: Save the Rhino and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
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Great Works for Gentle Giants
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Save the Elephants – Dr Iain and Oria Douglas-Hamilton
One of the world's foremost authorities on the African elephant, Iain Douglas-Hamilton pioneered the first in-depth scientific study of elephant social behaviour in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National Park at age 23. Today he is recognised as one of the world’s foremost authorities on elephant conservation.
Read More…
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The Tashinga Initiative
The Tashinga Initiative is a wildlife protection project that operates in the Zambezi Valley in the north of Zimbabwe. The Initiative’s long-term goal is explained - “Integrity of our Protected Areas sustainably maintained”.
Above: Matusadona Elephant - Tashinga
Read More…
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Ralph Stutchbury
'Elephant'
By Ralph Stutchbury
Review by Michael Lorentz
“A visual feast for Elephant lovers, this coffee table book comprises 112 pages of high quality Elephant portraits taken from all over Southern Africa.”
All Elephant photographs, unless otherwise credited, by Ralph Stutchbury.
Read More…
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Big Life Foundation
Big Life is the only organisation in East Africa with co-ordinated cross-border anti-poaching operations. https://biglife.org/
Read More…
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Every Day is Mother's Day for Elephants
(With thanks to African Travel)
While Americans celebrate Mother’s Day just once a year in our human realm, every day is Mother’s Day for elephants! Why?
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We've just seen...
National Ballet's "When They're Gone"
Inspired by the true story of an orphaned rhino, hand reared at Save Conservancy and integrated back into the wild, this wonderful show put on by Zimbabwe’s National Ballet Company features all the animals that are familiar to us; the interpretations of them in both look and movement through a variety of dance genres is simple but superbly done. The message of wildlife conservation is strong and we’d love to see it travel beyond our borders, in particular to the Far East, to help raise awareness of the vital importance of conservation.
If you have any ideas on how this might be achieved or would like to explore the idea of supporting a tour for this important message, please contact Nicci for a lively discussion!
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Foster an Orphaned Elephant
In Kenya, an Elephant Nursery situated in Nairobi under the auspices of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, overseen by Dr. Daphne Sheldrick, whose elephant experience spans a lifetime, and with the cooperation of the Kenya Wildlife Service, offers hope for any orphaned elephant fortunate enough to be found alive. And now you can play a part, too.
Read More…
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