Zimbabwe Seven

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jun 05 2008 | By: zimbabwe7

Due to the current situation here in Zimbabwe, wildlife continues to be under threat. Each and everyday brings with it another tale of unrest and lawlessness. On 15 May 08, Kimba Melu an orphan female elephant had to be moved from the Mavuradohna release site (one of the release sites for the Tikki Hywood Trust animals) because her life was threatened. Right now I am sure you are wondering what the Tikki Hywood Trust’s involvement is in one of the world’s largest mammals? In 2006 the Tikki Hywood Trust was alerted to Kimba’s story, and this is how it started….

On 25 December 2006, Kimba together with another orphaned male elephant were confiscated from a family who had been acting as the elephants’ foster parents since the babies were orphaned in the drought. Without any notice or warning the elephants were collected and taken away to a holding pen in the north of Zimbabwe. When we got to the Nymanechi Game Park, we were confronted with some very distressing news. The day after the two elephants had arrived; they had broken out of their pen and escaped into the bush. Both of these babies were still on bottles, so were very dependant on substitute milk. After four days the scouts found the carcass of the smallest male elephant that obviously had been attacked by a pack of rural dogs. Kimba remained in the bush for another week before the scouts managed, with a net to catch her and bring her back to a wire pen which from the stories had been used to house a wild leopard. On arriving my heart broke in two. There was this tiny baby, pacing up and down the line of the fence and then when she had stopped moving back and forth on her front to hind leg. Her physical condition was horrendous; her spine was at least 4 inches protruding from her back. The look in her eyes was one of fear and pleading not to once again be left on her own. Immediately I called National Parks and informed them of the situation, my initial concern was that this young elephant would not survive due to the incorrect milk formula and the fact that what she should be drinking was not available. National Parks agreed that this situation was not good and that until we could organise a permit for her we were able to take care of her. The next vital step was to get permission from the main Headquarters of National Parks to move this desperate little animal into a more stable situation where she could be properly cared for.
Lucky for us and Kimba, Geoff Hoddy was in Zimbabwe as part of SAVE Australia committee, it was thanks to his sincere love of Zimbabwe and her wildlife that when we told Geoff about Kimba, he pledged to help her no matter what it took. With the knowledge of the support from Geoff, we arrived at Parks to see how we could improve Kimba’s future. To my astonishment, Kimba had now become a victim of a price war! This orphan baby was now about money and how much as an adult she could fetch as part of an elephant back safari. Outraged, I argued that this was a conservation issue and not about money. Thankfully, those at Parks could see just how important it was to save Kimba and do what was right by her. At this point I had to ask myself why so much of this world is just about money and only money. To take the innocence of a wild orphan animal and then exploit it - surely this is a sin?
Thanks to National Parks, it was decided that Kimba would be given the chance of being returned to the wild and would never be part of any safari out fit. Being an elephant, this adventure of going back into the wild would be very lengthy. Kimba went to the north of Harare to learn to be an elephant and start her life once again with a new family - James and Janine Varden. Then with all that was happening in the Mavuradohna Mountains our concerns came back. Kimba’s chances of being returned safely back into the wild - started to diminish due to the increase in poaching and mining in the area, even though this area is part of a National Park. After further discussion with Parks, it was agreed that we would move her once again down to Chiredzi, where there were two adult elephants who had been orphaned in the 1992 - 93 drought of Zimbabwe. Theresa Warth has been doing amazing work with orphan elephants, and by moving Kimba to Theresa she would be able to interact with adult elephants. Being social mammals it is very important for elephants to bond with one another. Then fairly unexpected on the 14 May 08, ‘youths’ arrived at the farm where Kimba had been growing up on. The ‘youth’s demanded that they needed meat and that Kimba would do. After much pledging and negotiations’ the youth agreed that if a sable and bush pig were shot they would spare Kimba. Urgently Kimba was put into a horse box with a convoy of SPCA, James & Janine Varden and a National Parks scout and driven into Harare, where she over nighted in a horse sable, before the long trek to the Lowveld the following day. At five o’clock on the morning of 16th May 08 the convoy continued on to what hopefully will be the last move via vehicles for Kimba. At this point in time we can not promise that this will be Kimba’s last move. But what we can continue to do is make sure that these animals that are now in the care of man, is that man continues to make sure that they are returned to the wild safely. Together hopefully we can preserve enough of Zimbabwe’s wild heritage so that these elephants have a natural home where they can roam.

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