Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Elephants

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust USA 

In case you missed it...

With over 80 orphaned elephants dependent on our care -- not to mention field teams working across Kenya -- things happen in a blink-and-you-miss-it fashion at the DSWT. Here are a few highlights:

The Voi graduates are thriving: Mbegu, Ndotto, Lasayen, Murit, Godoma, and Ngilai made the big move from the Nursery to our Voi Reintegration Unit back in June -- and they are thriving in their new home! Mbegu (pictured here) is as much of a mini matriarch as ever, and while the sextet remains a little squad, they are also making lots of new friends and integrating well with the rest of the herd. Read more.

Combatting poaching in the Mau Forest: The DSWT recently partnered with the Mara Elephant Project to establish a new ranger force to patrol the Mau Forest, where poaching and other illegal activities had been taking their toll on the area's wildlife. With the support of KWS Rangers, the Mau De-Snaring Unit has already made a big impact on the ground. Some of its most recent successes include gathering intelligence that led to the arrest of three suspected ivory poachers, the seizure of over 80 pounds of ivory, the arrest of two bushmeat poachers, and the removal of countless snaresRead more.

The 2017 figures are in: Last year, DSWT USA granted over $4.6 million to the DSWT -- with more than 91 cents of every dollar supporting its six key conservation programs. In the DSWT USA 2017 Contributors Report, see your dollars at work and discover the difference they make. From covering 12 months' worth of Keepers' salaries to funding four rhino monitoring units, support from the US is helping the DSWT save more wildlife and secure more wild spaces every day. Read more.
Picture of the month:


Sliding into the mud bath is easy enough but, as Sagala demonstrates, getting out gracefully is more of a trick!

The carefree calf we see today is a far cry from the emaciated elephant who was rescued at the height of last year's drought. The support of foster parents around the world helps the DSWT rescue and raise more orphaned elephants like Sagala. 

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