|
Project update - July 05
Phoenix: 4 years
and 5 months…
 There
are many tragedies in the world today that warrant concern but
none more so than the impact of humans on the environment and
the slow deterioration of our natural resources. The impact of
an ever increasing human population on wild animal populations
is well documented, especially the illegal impacts of poaching
at a commercial level, whether this be for bushmeat or products
of financial reward, for example ivory. Elephants, one of the
planet's gentle giants, have been poached for decades for their
tusks, and over the years many baby elephants have been orphaned
and left to die. Only those weaned from the mother's milk will
gain the continued support of the caring family units. Those still
in need of milk will unfortunately tragically die, either starving
to death or being left to nature's carnivores.
Thankfully, not all suffer this fate and
Phoenix was one of the lucky few that have been rescued and given
the support they need. 4 years and 5 months on from her tragic
start to life, she is now preparing for her next big step, her
release back to the wild.
Phoenix's 4 years and 5 months at Munda
Wanga have certainly not been uneventful and she will have some
incredible stories to tell her new friends when she returns to
the wild. She has been filmed by local and national television
throughout Africa. She has met numerous famous celebrities including
Anne van Dyke, Kalusha Bwala (Zambia's very own Pele), several
Miss Zambias and of course David Shepherd. She has seen 50 international
volunteers come and go from the sanctuary who have all helped
her through the years in captivity.
 As
well as the incredible things she has seen over the years, Phoenix
has produced some amazing facts and figures of her own. While
at Munda Wanga, she has consumed over 2.5 tonnes of baby formula,
had 52 litres of coconut oil rubbed in to her skin, consumed an
estimated 10 tonnes of fruit and vegetables, over 1500 loaves
bread, over 100 bags of elephant cubes, numerous tonnes of natural
browse and bales of grass, but most importantly she has educated
over 220,000 visitors to Munda Wanga, on the deplorable bushmeat
trade and the illegal poaching of elephants for their tusks. Let's
not forget, in her playful adolescent state, she has taken down
ten gates, over 600 meters of fencing, destroyed six metal bins,
three benches and numerous footballs!!
All of this would not have been made possible,
if it were not for the generosity of the David Shepherd Wildlife
Foundation and its supporters. And we still need your help. To
enable Phoenix to be released back to the wild, further funding
is required. This part of her journey may take several years,
but with the commitment of DSWF, Munda Wanga and the Zambian Wildlife
Authority, we can make it work. Every pound helps.
£25 will buy one weeks worth
of supplementary food
£140 will pay for a wildlife scout to help protect Phoenix
for one month
£1,000 will buy the crate to transfer Phoenix to the release
site
Every little contribution helps wildlife
and remember 100% of your donation will go in full to the project - thank you!
You can also help by becoming a member
of DSWF. Click here for more information
top of page
|
