DSWF - Rescue and release programme for victims of Zambia’s poaching war

Welcome to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

		PROJECT: Phoenix - The Elephant Orphanage Project - rescue and release programme - established and supported by The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation for victims of Zambia's poaching war

		Location: Zambia
		DSWF Support: Operational in Zambia since 1991 with this project starting in 2001 with the rescue of baby elephant Phoenix.
		Funding to date: over £500,000 of which a percentage has been granted to the rescue and rehabilitation of Phoenix and the establishment and running of the Elephant Orphanage Project.

		Project Summary: When David Shepherd first visited Zambia it was home to 250,000 elephants and 3,500 rhinos. Today just 25,000 elephants survive and all of its rhinos have been lost. Poaching continues today and results in orphaned babies such as Phoenix. This project is designed to rehabilitate these tragic animals and eventually return them to the wild.

Smart's story

Munda Wanga Environmental Park, as it is now known, has a steady flow of visitors - not least because of Phoenix. One of their main tasks is to educate the local community about wildlife and the environment. The Chilanga Hospice is situated just 800m from the park and it is here that Smart's story begins.

Phoenix Smart came from a poor compound on the outskirts of Lusaka. At about the same time as Phoenix arrived at Munda Wanga, he was admitted to the Hospice very sick with a mystery illness. Despite no known medical diagnosis and his increasing sickness, Smart suddenly disappeared. With no word to his family, he lost himself amongst Lusaka's two million inhabitants. There is no registered directory in Zambia, particularly amongst the poor and so it is not easy to find someone. It took two years for his family to find him, by which time he was mute, unable to walk and showed no recognition of anything or anyone.

Back at Chilanga Hospice, despite all tests showing negative, he started treatment for TB and gradually showed signs of progress - slowly starting to walk but still not interacting with people. In January 2005, as part of his occupational therapy, his carers decided to take him to Munda Wanga where a miracle happened.

As soon as Smart saw baby Phoenix - for the first time in two years, he spoke his first words. Stimulated by the animals, and perhaps with a special 'connection' with Phoenix, suddenly Smart was responding to questions, and would talk about the animals, especially the boisterous baby elephant, who seemed to calm down and become more gentle when near Smart. When he returned to the hospice, he would constantly ask to "go back to see the baby elephant again", he would talk about the animals, he would respond to any question from his carers, making treatment a lot easier. Smart now makes regular visits to see Phoenix and the other animals at Munda Wanga and is recovering well.