By Sue Howells | Project Leader
It is always a pleasure to write a report for our Global Giving supporters! We hope that sharing our updates and the progress of our project gives you great joy knowing that you are helping us make it happen.
We have raised $9444 in our 1000 Hearts Campaign over the past three months which equates to approximately 118 'Heart' Donations of USD80 each from Global Giving supporters. Therefore Global Giving supporters account for 45% of the HEART Donations received thus far, (Thank you!) with our grand total standing at 260 Heart Donations. Our goal is to reach 1000' Hearts.'
The decision was made to relocate the current orphaned elephant project at Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) to a new custom-built orphanage called Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD) located next to the stables of the Jabulani herd, which is just an hour drive away from HESC.
The Orphanage will be a well-controlled environment with the sole purpose of caring for elephant orphans and maintaining minimal foot traffic which is important to an elephant calf's delicate nature.
The positioning of the Orphanage to the Jabulani herd will offer baby elephants controlled access to the adult elephants, and our highly experienced team will be able to oversee the process of the integration into the herd.
The building consists of three 'nurseries' (bedrooms), each with a section for their dedicated carer to sleep at night, as well as an individual play area leading onto a large communal garden and dam.
The Orphanage is currently in its final stages of preparation, and we look forward to welcoming Mopane, an orphaned elephant in the care of HESC to his new home soon. Thus the staff are on the move and organizing the new grounds to make sure everything is ready.
His current elephant carer trainees at HESC will be moving to HERD with Mopane. He will also have lots of familiar friends in the Jabulani elephant carers who have been supervising his care at HESC with the HESC head curators too.
Thank you to everyone who has followed and contributed to this project; we physically could not do it without public funding. Please help us reach our goal of 1000 Hearts.
Please help us and spread the word with your loved ones and friends, or perhaps even consider donating another heart on behalf of someone special in your life. Be part of this essential new development for elephant conservation in South Africa.
Yours in Conservation
The Wildlife Conservation Trust and HERD Team.
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