A mother elephant and her young in Africa. (Photo : Hayley Adams/Silent Heroes )
Renewed poaching is currently threatening the lives of thousands of African elephants, especially older matriarchs that boast massive ivory tusks that are alluring to hunters. The loss of these still highly reproductive, usually long-lived elder females --
mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers -- is extremely devastating
for their rich social communities, leaving their young without
protection, care and food. To help babies and juveniles survive this
remarkably stressful shock, which researchers say is like what humans
suffer with PTSD, two organizations are opening the first elephant orphanage in Tanzania, Africa.
The facility is expected to be up and running in March, and will help rescue, rehabilitate and eventually release elephants separated from their mothers at a young age. Silent Heroes, founded by veterinarian Hayley Adams, has partnered with the African Wildlife Trust to build the structure and provide the proper medical care young elephants need.
"These animals have just
experienced a lot of trauma; they just witnessed their mother being
killed. They are dehydrated, disoriented, stressed -- it's a very
critical time because they are highly cognitive," Adams told Nature
World News, explaining that the first 72 hours following their
abandonment are very touch-and-go situations, although it is often
difficult for humans to determine exactly how long the elephants have
been orphaned.
The plan is this: When a young
elephant is found alone, it will be air rescued to the orphanage. The
transport and change can be stressful and traumatic, too. Therefore,
veterinarians must find a balance between bonding with the orphans and
medically stabilizing them. Sadly, however, some of the elephants don't
make it and are sensitive enough that they will give up the will to live
after suffering such a loss.
"The way I look at it is it is a
great opportunity for us to learn, so that we can improve on the way
things are done -- there is just so much that isn't known about the proper care of orphans," Adams said.
If rescued successfully, however, orphans will spend between nine and 14 years at the orphanage before being released at Tarangire National Park, a natural or free-range environment in Tanzania. Tight-knit elephant societies are organized around a central matriarch, and
young generally remain by their mother's side for a similar time. When
it is time to start mating, males are the only ones who wander from
their family units.
Sitting on several hundred
acres of savannah grassland, the orphanage is set-up like a nursery: The
youngest and most milk and contact dependent animals are kept in
stables and given 24-hour care -- feedings every few hours paired with
constant contact and supervision. As they get older they are allowed to
roam throughout the orphanage more freely, visit the watering hole and
naturally form their own social units -- a key part of elephant
lifestyles.
While conserving elephants is
the facility's key concern, it will not turn away other animals found
suffering, such as rhinos or giraffes.
"We know there are elephants
being poached daily, and people don't always recognize that all these
elephants that are being killed have families," Adams said. "We have our
work cut out for us, but I am certainly interested in elevating the
standard of care for these guys, because we know they go through a lot
of emotional trauma."
Much of the formula given to rescued or orphaned animals is makeshift, so Adams hopes to find an alternative that more closely resembles their mother's milk and the nutrients they need to thrive as they would in their natural habitat.
The orphanage plans to allow a
limited amount of tourism, where people can visit the animals and watch
them as they grow up. One way to donate to Ivory Orphans is by going to Silent Heroes' Amazon Wish List.
It's a good way to get a close look at the orphanage's operations, by
purchasing stable blankets, nursing bottles, or other items that
shell-shocked young elephants will use.
0 comments:
Post a Comment