New Horizons

July 13, 2015 Jen

This is dedicated to the three elephant calves …. that escaped from being sent to China as they were classified as ‘damaged goods.’

Thank you to Wild Is Life, Grand Zimbabwe for giving them a fighting chance.

Three young hearts pounding…beating as one

Sun washed bush pulsating like an African drum

Young wrinkled coats heavy….burdened with unease

Africa shaped ears fanning the breeze

Dusty horizon drifts into the electric sky

Young elephant calves…their trunks held high

Afternoon melodies drifting….soft and tender

Trees boastful….in their winter splendour

Hope surrounds them…a symphony of their survival

Wild is Life, Grand Zimbabwe….their saviours….await their

arrival

Under a limitless sky…as high as it is wide

Escaping a life of servitude…their physical imperfections

on their side

As winter sunshine slips slowly through the canopy of trees

Roxy Danckwerts huge heart bursts….hearing their pleas

Vibrant scents, rich earth and mellow afternoon sun

True essence of giving….their heartbeats with Roxys..soon to become one

Shadows drift and darkness fades

A breath taking dawn…veined with gold braid

Three lost souls….a traumatised elephant herd

Peace, soon to surround them….with a soft spoken word

Midges rise and hang motionless…birdsong carries on the breeze

‘Pickles’ and ‘Moyo’…embraced by the warmth…stretch with ease

‘Moyo’ feels the calves sorrow, their whispers and their sighs

Their storms of emotions…no time for their goodbyes

Elephant calves at peace…as in silence they tread

Weaving their magic….a golden life thread

Embracing their life…moving towards the sun

A soul dance, summer scents…their healing has begun

Wildlife Trafficking In Hwange

December 8, 2014December 8, 2014 Jen

My first recollection of seeing a herd of elephants was on my 5th birthday. They were gigantic, wrinkled and grey. I was sitting cross legged on the wooden floor of a viewing platform overlooking a water hole in the heart of the Hwange Game Reserve. The sleeping water reflected the gilt edged clouds scudding happily across the painted sky and noisy doves policed the mopani woodlands, their melodious calls filling the late afternoon. Looking back, I had not appreciated the freedom of space, the warm breeze caressing my hair and the warmth of the wooden slats toasting my bum and bare brown legs. Small midges floated and whirred around my face… it was perfect, and much to my folks amusement, I announced ‘I saw them yesterday.’ And I continued to play with a doll with staring eyes and yellow hair. Well 50 years on, Hwange’s elephants are once again on my mind.

Copy write – Artush

Hwange..A Spectacular Corner Of The Earth

Fingers of sunshine edge over the horizon and breaking free from the thick early morning cloud, they probe deep within the shadows of the teak woodlands. In the warm friendly wash of early morning sunrise the distinct smell of moisture carries on the breeze: a seductive breeze full of promises of much needed rain for this unspoiled bush. Baboons with an excited air of expectation that only the pink wash of dawn brings, stretch, creasing out the night’s wrinkles before leaving the safety of the trees to begin a days foraging. With the leader barking out instructions, the troop ease out of the shadows and into the sunlight, small babies clinging fearlessly to their mother’s undercarriage. The drum roll duet from a pair of Southern ground Horn bills echoes out as the males deep red creased wattle inflates like an old pair of bellows as he welcomes the early African morning. These gigantic birds are monogamous, pairing for up to 30 or 40 years, unless their mate dies.

Photo credit DeLoyd Huenink

Scaly blue headed lizards bask on the exposed rock enjoying the warmth of the African sun on their bellies as well as their backs as one large rolling eye keeps focused on the wide sky looking for predators and the other eye strays onto a squadron of flies as they buzz low over a huge pile of sweet smelling buffalo dung. Hwange is a special corner of the world: untamed bush and spectacular wildlife. Loping giraffe rise up and stand tall against the thorn veld and mopani woodland while prison garbed zebra lower their heads, large teeth mowing and chewing, ears twitching and eyes watchful. Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park and home to in excess of 100 mammal species and covers 14 540 sq km. During the crisp dry winters and droughts, the animals are entirely dependent on a network of artificial dams and pans fed by boreholes. The park’s mix of habitats means an unusual biodiversity offering a sybaritic feast of eclectic bush rich in bird life and 108 different species of animals.

Hwange is home for large herds of lumbering giants and a magic quivers in the air as the subliminal rumble can be felt rather than heard. Elephant family units will split, normally due to a shortage of food in the area. These family units remain united, congregating at watering holes and favourite feeding spots. Meeting up with members from the other unit is also cause for celebration. As vultures whirr high above this sun baked paradise, below the two herds of elephants begin to call out to each other from a quarter of a mile away. Getting closer, they pick up the pace with temporal glands streaming. Once they have spotted each other, they start to run: a large mass of bubbling exuberance and noisy splendor. Making contact through a swirl of golden dust, these mighty creatures embrace: ears flapping, tusks clicking, leaning into and rubbing each other: all the while urinating and defecating. Spinning in circles, they encompass the world with their joy and a cacophony of trumpeting screams and rumbles shred the air. Happiness and joyful is their reunion. These gregarious animals lower their trunks into the watering pan sucking up deep drafts of sweet life giving liquid and quenching their thirst before throwing warm Hwange sand over their backs. Small calves rough and tumble, their wrinkled trunks entwined and their shrill joyful calls filling the air. Their over sized creased coats are smeared with mud and their large Africa shaped ears fan the sultry breeze cooling down their body temperatures. A small herd of buffalo have retreated to the other side of the pan, flaring their nostrils and snorting their defiance. The lords of the land, their large trunks with deep fissures swinging free as they rumble their way back into the African bush…the womb of the universe. The matriarchal herd have formed bonds that have been forged over a life time of 40 to 50 years and all young calves remain protected in the bosom of the family. Young males will branch out tasting independent life at about 15 years of age and females will remain with the herd.

Their relationship within the family rivals that of humans and they could teach the two legged creature a thing or two about family values and loyalty. Elephants show all the best attributes of mankind with few of them displaying our darker sides. They share this paradise with a multitude of different wildlife. While big cats prowl, the kings proud and vibrant mane halos his strong face. His yellow eyes are focused as he crouches low, camouflaged by the bush. These predators work together: a perfect phalanx as the strangled cry of a young buffalo fills the air, and the excited cackle of the hyenas resonate as they close in, ready for battle with their age old enemies. These bush battles are as old as time and the winner takes all.

Today, a much more dangerous force of predators are on the prowl. MAN.

‘According to an undercover wildlife investigator who provided information published in The Star newspaper, the elephant calves are being held at the ZWMA Mtshibi Animal Capture Unit’s holding centre, a few kilometres from Hwange Main Camp, where they’re being vetted for diseases prior to export.

Tourists reported seeing helicopter and ground teams from Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) roping the babies after separating them from their mothers by firing shots above the heads of the herd. The calves would be below the age of five and not properly weaned, which reduces their chance of survival.’

This wildlife paradise erupts and tourists become aware of a live horror story taking place as they witness the blatant live capture of baby elephants as they are torn from the safety of the herd. Pulsating blood pushes through veins as these babies hearts pound in fear as their world is ripped apart. The matriarchal herds trumpet in rage as they are chased away by the sharp kkkk of warning shots being fired above their heads from a circling helicopter. A heavy curtain of dust hangs motionless as the net of capture closes in suffocating the small frightened animals. With temporal glands streaming, the captured babies urinate and defecate, their bowels opening in shock and horror, their small trunks lifting to smell the air…wondering where their mothers are. The shutter of freedom comes banging down, turning these bush elephants into ‘captives’ who will, if they survive the trauma now endure a life time of servitude to man. Dazed and confused, they are pushed into a boma at the ZWMA Mtshibi Animal Capture Unit, where they are being vetted for disease prior to …’a life changing journey ahead of them.’

As Dame Daphne Sheldrick said ‘Elephants are indeed more ancient, more complex, and in many ways more sophisticated than man. In terms of Nature they are truly more perfect because they remain within the ordered scheme of Nature and live as Nature intended. They are different to us, honed by natural selection over millennia so they should not be patronised, but rather respected and revered. And of all the animals, perhaps the most respected and revered should be the elephant, for not only is the largest land mammal on earth, but also the most emotionally human.”

Cites have suggested that this is not illegal to export animals….however it is morally wrong. Zimbabwe, we have heard that one of these calves has died. They should never have been taken away from their mothers. This is a disgrace. Please take action and show your support for these sentient animals and the other wildlife involved in this crime. Please take a minute and sign the following petition.

True Essence of humanity

March 24, 2014 Jen

How do you even begin to try and find words that describe an icon like Lawrence Anthony. To me he was ‘the true essence of humanity’. From a mystical point of view, I can only describe him as having achieved a perfect blending of a physical being with a pure non-physical soul.

From reading about his incredible journey with the wild herd of elephants (The Elephant Whisperer) on his game reserve Thula Thula in Zululand, South Africa, you get a strong sense of his integrity. He abhorred destruction and hatred. He was connected with greater things and greater understandings. Lawrence Anthony was able to see the wonder and miracle of life on this planet. He was able to see the sheer magnificence of this world that we as humans appear to be so incompetent at sharing. He knew that the earth and all her inhabitants were to be treasured.

As we look around the world today, we can’t help but observe that not only are humans destroying millions of their own kind in the name of politics, power and religion, they are also hell bent on annihilating animal life and the environment. Both violence towards people and animals for many of the two legged beings has become a socially acceptable form of human behaviour: sadly, a way of life.

Lawrence Anthony, in my mind was guided by a pureness of spirit, non-violence and compassion towards all living things. He was passionate about people, animals and the environment.

In his book Babylons Ark, the incredible rescue of the Baghdad Zoo, this amazing man wrote:

The prophets of doom are already saying it is too late, that the crude and uniformed impact of man on the planet’s life systems is just too great and that we don’t have enough time to turn it all around. I don’t happen to agree, but I do know that we are entering the endgame. Unless there is a swift and marked change in our attitudes and actions, we could well be on our way to becoming an endangered species.’

Powerful words from a special man who sadly left this earth too early.

Lawrence Anthony was an icon in the environmentalist movement. One of his legacies ‘Earth Organisation’: a non profit, non partisan organisation aimed at reversing the dwindling spiral of life on earth and creating a healthy and habitable planet on which all life has the right to thrive and prosper.

Lawrence Anthony was 61 years old when he died of a heart attack. He was taken before his planned conservation gala dinner in Durban aimed at raising international awareness of the Rhino poaching pandemic and to launch his new book, ‘The last Rhinos’.

In April, 2012, he was posthumously awarded honorary Doctor of Science degree by College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal.^[5]

On his passing, the two wild elephant herds trekked through the Zululand bush until they reached the house of this compassionate man who had saved their lives. This man, who was known as ‘The Elephant Whisperer’, a legend to more than those whose paths he had crossed, was being shown the ultimate love and respect from these sentient animals who had looked into his very being and found the pureness in this man.

The world and it’s inhabitants has lost a great spirit, and one of natures true warriors, who restored more than just a herd of elephant’s faith in mankind.

BOOKS BY LAWRENCE ANTHONY (Information below from Wikipedia)

‘Anthony is a bestselling author and his books have been translated into several languages. His brother-in-law, Graham Spence co-authored his three books.^[5]

Anthony’s first book Babylon’s Ark, published by Thomas Dunne Books, is the true story of the wartime rescue of the Baghdad Zoo. Babylon’s Ark has won literary awards including the Booklist Editors Choice in the category adult books for young adults, and the French 28th Prix Littéraire 30 Millions d’Amis literary award, popularly known as the Goncourt for animals.

Anthony’s second book, The Elephant Whisperer, published by Pan Macmillan, tells the story of his adventures and relationship with a rescued herd of African elephants.

Anthony’s third book, The Last Rhinos, published by Sidgwick & Jackson, is the true story of Anthony’s involvement to rescue the remaining Northern White Rhinos in the DR Congo.’

Awards and recognitions[edit]

The Global Nature Fund, Living Lakes Best Conservation Practice Award, for “A remarkable contribution to nature conservation and environmental protection.”

The Earth Day medal presented at the United Nations by the Earth Society for his rescue of the Baghdad Zoo.

The Earth Trustee Award.

The US Army 3rd Infantry, Regimental medal for bravery in Iraq during the Coalition invasion of Baghdad.

The Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship for outstanding contribution to the ideals of Rotary.

The IAS Freedom Medal.

The Umhlatuzi Mayoral Award for Outstanding Community Service.

Member of the governing council of the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science.^[4]

International membership, the Explorers Club of New York.

At a presentation in Washington, DC in March 2009, respected international journalist Tom Clynes named South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony amongst his six most impressive and influential people in a lifetime of reporting. Other names on the list include such luminaries as Sir Edmund Hillary

A NIGHT FULL OF ELEPHANTS

March 3, 2014 Jen

In the golden silence of early evening, the shimmering leaves appear to be holding their breath. Africa’s giants ghost into view, puffing up small whirls of dust that appear to hang motionless. Their matriarch, her large and noble head held high, swings her trunk back and forth. She is at one with the peace that only early evening can bring. Despite her heavy bulk of 10 000 lbs (10 tonnes), she has the lightness and grace of a dancer. She is an ambassador for her kind, ‘Loxodonta africana.’

Her fluid movements ooze with confidence as she leads her herd into the darkening shadows of nightfall. They follow her through the swirling dust along the well worn game trail. Their survival depends on her guidance and they trust her implicitly as she has led them for the past 30 years. They are a cohesive group of females and their delightful offspring. She, the matriarch and her daughters have assisted with many births, forming an impenetrable wall of muscle and tusks around the cow in labour. The birth of a calf causes much excitement in the herd as they encompass the new born with joy: a cacophony of trumpeting screams and rumbles shred the air. All the females welcome and encourage the newborn to get onto it’s feet as this short video clip shows. An elephant’s emotional attachment to their family members rivals our own.

The mother is responsible for providing the +-250 lb newborn with milk. Like all mothers, her newborn is a precious seed and it will never grow unless nourished and nurtured. In the elephant world, the new born will be raised within this warm and caring environment, learning life skills from all the females in the Matriarchal herd. Young aunties or elder siblings will take on baby sitting duties and this all important for their development, preparing them for the responsibilities of ‘Motherhood.’

These young elephant calves learn how to become independent by watching and mimicking the others. A calf will begin to experiment with it’s trunk around 4 months of age, but it will take a lot of practice to become proficient at taming more than 40 000 muscles that gives an elephant’s trunk such dexterity.

Elephants will spend from 12 – 18 hours a day fulfilling their enormous appetite. An adult can consume between 200 – 600 lbs of food. As herbivores, their ‘smorgasbord’ will consist of grasses, tree foliage, bark and twigs washed down with up to 50 gallons of water per day. Their choices of menu change with the varying seasons. Nature knows best. According to this report, elephants concentrate on the bark, stem and roots rather than foliage or fruit and plants. In this way it reduces the elephants overlap of food selection with other animals.

The information passed down over generations is imperative to their survival. Discipline is necessary for unruly youngsters who will receive a cuffing from one of the elders’ trunks to keep them in line. To survive, they need to be team players. They have learnt all the right skills and they use them effectively. The matriarch has taught them that clear roles within the herd: communications, co-operation, respect for one another, decision making and the art of skillful reconciliation ensures cohesive bonding between the elephants. When in crisis, they will trust and follow the matriarch who has earned their respect, and she will not rule by force or fear. Her impeccable memory serves them well.

Through the darkness, two adult cows stand like sentries: their large ears gently fanning the warm and heavy air. With a low frequency purr that you can feel rather hear, the herd rouse themselves, their need for food fueling them on. As the golden light stitches the horizon together with the coming of dawn, lazy light sneaks through the leaves freckling the ground. This charming family of elephants have lived to face another day. These ambassadors of the wild have shared with us their intelligence, love and compassion. They are a source of great peace and wisdom that us humans should take note of. Over centuries they have been treated with a total disrespect from humans and things need to change. Us, as ‘rational thinking animals’ have the ability to alter our destructive ways. The thought of a world without these sentient beings is unthinkable. We have already caused such disharmony in their lives, but there is still time to change. The challenge is now to reshape outdated perceptions about these animals.

China, PLEASE ‘KILL THE IVORY TRADE’ not the ‘ELEPHANTS.’