Category Archives: Animal Activism

November 10, 2013 · 3:44 pm

Elephant’s Orphan Project – David Sheldrick WIldlife Trust – AKA unbearably sweet video

Dame Daphne Sheldrick, founder of the DSWT, pioneered the milk formula and husbandry needed to successful hand-rear milk dependent orphan baby elephants.

These skills and Daphne’s knowledge have continued to develop over the years and been shared with keepers at the charity’s orphanage in Nairobi. To date, more than 140 elephant orphans have been successfully rehabilitated, all will eventually return to the wild where they belong.

This film provides an insight into what it is to be an orphan elephant rescued by the DSWT.

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October 29, 2013 · 4:13 am

PAWS – 3 Lovelies Find a New Home

Some of you may know this story already but three lovelies from the Toronto Zoo found a new home at the California sanctuary PAWS (Performing Animals Welfare Society). Here are some great videos that show the elephants travels and arrival at PAWS. Quite the story.

 

Bob Barker donated generously to ensure their safe travel to their new home in California.
PAWS

Since 1984, The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has been at the forefront of efforts to rescue and provide appropriate, humane sanctuary for animals who have been the victims of the exotic and performing animal trades. PAWS investigates reports of abused performing and exotic animals, documents cruelty and assists in investigations and prosecutions by regulatory agencies to alleviate the suffering of captive wildlife.

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October 20, 2013 · 5:41 pm

Dr. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: two minute film that introduces hand-rearing of orphaned elephants

This is a two minute film that introduces the work of the Dr. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in the rescue and hand-rearing of orphaned elephants, so that they might ultimately enjoy a life back in the wild when grown. Please share.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust :: Crowdrise from Village Beat on Vimeo.

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October 14, 2013 · 7:45 pm

Chemi Chemi: Dr. Sheldrick Foundation Birthday Surprise

All year Dave and I have been on a rather single-minded campaign to raise money so we could adopt/foster an elephant for my sister’s family. All year I have warned anyone who is still around to listen – no prezzies, no anything for anybody not even kids. Mean auntie. All present money was put in our ‘elephant collection’ jar along with money raised from recycling bottles, extra birthday money and money raised from selling things. When my sister recently told me she had found a gift for me I looked at her steely eyed – ‘I SAID NO GIFTS – ELEPHANT MONEY ONLY). “Too late” she said equally steely eyed.

photoSo when they arrived the other night for dinner and deposited the gift bag in front of me I announced I would open it tomorrow. “No auntie T, OPEN IT NOW.” said the girls. So I did. And I saw the awesome homemade card that I usually get and treasure. This one had a beautiful baby elephant on it. “Awwwww – he’s so cute.” and I flipped over to the other side where I saw the letters “Chemi Chemi” which means spring.

photo-1“What a great card.” I said – “But it’s more than a card auntie T”. More than a card. Slow realization. They had adopted an elephant in my name. I have been so single-minded in my determination to foster an elephant for the girls that it never occurred to me that they could do the same for me. Wow, and here he is.

So why do I want to do this so badly and why elephants? I want to do it because it started with the simple fact that I’m not a great gift giver and when I buy things I always feel like it’s a big waste of money.

And I don’t want to waste money. And increasingly I don’t want to waste time. And like Bill Maher, my deep empathy lies with animals. And within that empathy lies the harsh reality that animals are entirely unprotected and live at the whim of people. I hate that.

As I get older I feel myself becoming increasingly more focussed on things that I feel need to get done. To use what I have to make a difference. That’s what I want to do. I’m aware that all wildlife is under attack – gorillas, tigers, lions, bears, polar bears, wolves, whales, dolphins, tuna, rhinos, dogs, cats. But I can’t do it all. So I need to focus. So I’ve focussed on elephants. Gentle, intelligent, social animals that are being hunted to extinction.

So baby steps. There are a lot of organizations that are doing a lot of great things to develop awareness and protection for animals. There’s a whole community of amazing people doing great work. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is dedicated to the protection of endangered species – rhinos and elephants.By adopting an elephant and by having an elephant adopted for me I want to help tell their story.

2272010832-pic7So here he is: Chemi Chemi – found at 8 months entirely on his own. He was monitored for half a day and then it was decided that he would be rescued. He was brought to the lodge given water and an attendant for the night. The attendant fed him and spoke soothingly and the little calf settled down. The rescue plane came and took him the next day at dawn. Three Keepers and rescue paraphanalia helped ensure a smooth trip for the little guy. He arrived at the Nursery where he was allowed to meet the 19 other orphaned babies who embraced him immediately. He took to the milk bottle immediately and was taken under the protective wing of Olare the recognized matriach. And that’s the story of how Chemi Chemi was rescued. He was found alone because his family was the victim of poaching, and considering what he had gone through, according to his keepers and attendants, he is doing amazingly well.

You can find out about the fostering program right here.

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September 30, 2013 · 1:24 am

iWorry campaign #1Every15 Minutes is Killed for the Ivory Trade

Jisupportp11oin us for the iworry International March for Elephants on Friday October 4th.

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Why Join iWorry?

Last year up to 36,000 elephants were killed for their ivory. 1 life lost every 15 minutes.
At the current rate of poaching African Elephants could face extinction in the wild by 2025.

Join us as we peacefully march in 15 cities around the world on Friday 4th October.
You can also show your support by joining the digital march for elephants.

Support the DSWT’s iworry campaign and be a part of a global effort to protect and preserve elephants.

The iworry campaign was created by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) and exists to raise global awareness to the devastating impact the illegal ivory trade is having on elephant populations. Launched in September 2012, the campaign has attracted worldwide backing calling for a complete ban on the illegal trade in ivory.

As a field based organisation, the DSWT works on the front line to protect wildlife and prevent the suffering and killing of wild animals. Recognising the need for greater global awareness of the illegal wildlife trade in ivory, which is claiming the lives of 36,000 elephants annually, the DSWT launched iworry in 2012. The campaign is based on the premise that everyone has a stake in conserving elephants and that we must come together if we are to successfully educate and inform people as to the existence of the illegal ivory trade, the devastating toll it is having on elephant populations and through that, call on governments from around the world to take proactive steps to tackle this illicit trade and save elephants.

Sharing the evidence of poaching witnessed by DSWT teams in the field, iworry utilises social media, petitions, imagery, the press and public marches to create an awareness of the existence of the ivory trade and its impacts. The loss of elephants in the wild, an iconic, intelligent and social species, would not only make the world a lesser place, it would have serious environmental and economic repercussions. The iworry campaign calls on world governments to make the illicit ivory trade and wildlife crime a priority issue, to make a financial commitment to security enforcement and to impose a complete ban on all ivory sales.

Why March?

The International March for Elephants has been organised by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) through their iworry campaign and will be taking place in 15 cities across the globe in the single largest demonstration of awareness for the species.

The ivory trade is an international problem and one which must be recognized by Governments worldwide if we are to see any changes.

Join your local city March and stand in solidarity with elephants.

Sign up to one of our fifteen official marches:

Arusha
Bangkok
Buenos Aires
Cape Town
Edinburgh
London
Los Angeles
Melbourne
Munich
Nairobi*
New York City
Rome
Toronto
Washington DC
Wellington

*Please note – due to recent events which took place in Nairobi from 21/09 – 24/09 we have decided to cancel the International March for Elephants in Nairobi. We will hold a vigil for those who so tragically lost their lives in the attacks and also for the elephants who continue to fall victim to the ivory trade. This will be held on the day of the March October 4th at the Nairobi Nursery. More info at: http://www.dswt.org

The peaceful marches will be concluding at Government Buildings where we will hand over a letter carrying the voice of thousands of people, calling for stricter penalties and urgent global change.

Email us to register if you are not a Facebook user.

Elephant Masks

To make it clear exactly what we are marching for on Friday 4th October, we have produced an Official DSWT Elephant Mask for you to print off and wear to show your support. Please see here for a step-by-step on how to secure your Official DSWT Elephant Mask.

Placards

For those who are attending the march and would like to bring along your own placard, we advise that these are produced A1/A2 size with the following phrases:

‘Say NO to ivory’
‘Stop the ivory trade. Save the elephant’
‘Elephant Extinction 2025 – Not on our watch’
‘Join the fight to Save Elephants iworry.org’

We do not condone any offensive text and/or imagery on any placards. This is a peaceful march and all aspects will reflect this.

To download all this material, please visit http://www.iworry.org/

Promotional Material

Download the iworry poster

Get Involved

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April 27, 2012 · 5:18 pm

It’s a Dog’s Life – My Dog Eats Better Than Me!

Canned soup for us – rice, beef, sweet potato, squash and beans for Roobie doo!

You can be a slave to your pooch too! Check out pet diets

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September 7, 2007 · 11:59 pm

The love for your pet…. priceless

Dave: So I’ve learn ed a few things over the last little while; there are people who unconditionally love animals and then there are the other people.

I remember when I bought my VW Jetta VR6 a few years ago (now sold), it was a pretty hot little car. Everyone was very supportive and congratulated me on such a nice purchase; “Great car, way to go, nice job”.
Now we jump ahead to this last month when some of these same people found that the cost of all Reuben’s surgeries, was roughly the same as the car. All I saw was raised eyebrows, wide eyes and large inhales of breath… and even a couple of head shakes.

So let me think this through; a large hunk of air polluting metal or, an animal that brings our family unimaginable amounts of joy every day… hmmmmm.

Another dog was in the cage next to Reuben at the hospital. He had had the same emergency as Reub and his intestines had failed to hold after the second surgery. The owners decided that they didn’t want to go for a third surgery, even though their dog was only five and if the operation was successful, he would have been 100%. We couldn’t figure it out… we thought the money must have been an issue, until we saw them drive away in their Lexus.

I think you do what you have to do, you make it work. After four surgeries Reuben is doing fantastic. He’s making us laugh again… he’s family.

Our family member, or a fancy car?…. I know what gives us more joy.

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August 4, 2007 · 5:18 am

So Long Canada West

Tessa: The other day I was at Canada West Veterinary Specialists for Reuben’s check-up. As we got close to the hospital Reuben got really excited as if he were going on a big hike instead of to the doctors. He ran out of the car and into the reception area where he was greeted by a posse of staff who all shouted, “Hey Reuben’s here.” They crowded around him and gave him big kisses while we waited for super babe nurse Jayne to come out.

As we waited for Jayne he sat there with his tail wagging and a big boner, a sure sign of happiness in my mind. There was a couple beside us and we started chatting. They had that worried, crazy look that Dave and I had a few short weeks ago. I asked them what was up and they said Princess was in for her second spinal cord surgery and I nodded knowingly. Of course. I get it. They asked about Reub and I told them about Reuben’s four surgeries. They nodded and shook their heads knowingly. They’re like our children she said.

Then when the beautiful Jayne emerged and got on the ground and started whispering sweet nothings into my sweetie’s ear, (Reub not Dave) he looked almost as happy to see her as he usually is to see me and it made me feel really good inside.

Reub and I were then ushered into one of the waiting rooms to see Dr. Enberg. He always says Trevor and introduces himself in that nice informal way but I can’t quite bring myself to say that quite yet. He’s still Reuben’s doctor and by calling him that I feel like I can hang on to that a little bit longer.

He did the usual things, felt his intestine, finger up the poop shoot and generally played with him on the floor calling him sweet things like here’s my boy. I looked at him and said Dr. Enberg have we turned that corner yet? And he paused and looked at me and without missing a beat or making me feel like I was stupid he consulted the sixty two pages of charts and medically things on paper and said well you know his surgery was then and his last this was then and he hasn’t had a reaction to the human albumin so I think it’s very safe to say yes, he’s turned a corner.

Wow. He’s turned a corner. I wanted to hug him and run out and grab Jayne and all the cute receptionists who act like Reuben is a movie star when he comes in. DID YOU HEAR THAT???? Then I realized that in a weird way I feel completely at home at Canada West. I feel surrounded by like-minded people…people who don’t give a second thought to doing everything they can to help animals.

Since Reuben has come home we’ve been confronted with different reactions. People are usually too polite to ask how much we paid for his life but it’s private health care and they can pretty much figure out half of the cost and even that makes them gasp. One person suggested that there were so many animals that needed homes from shelters perhaps we should have just done that.

I guess at the end of the day we all have to make our choices in these matters because animals don’t have the same rights as people do. Their lives are completely at the mercy of their owners and that makes me feel sick to my stomach.

I told Dr. Enberg I was going to miss them. I’m not going to miss Reuben being sick but I’m going to miss being surrounded by crazy animal loving people who get it.

Now I spend my days plotting and thinking about how I could be useful there. My mother suggested I become a vet. I think not. But it’s the kind of uncompromising commitment that I love so I guess I learned something from this experience.

My next blog will be about my mother’s visit. I can’t write it right now because she won’t let me and as it is I am only writing this one because Dave is keeping her temporarily preoccupied. Soon she will come and hunt me down and demand more attention or want me to paint her toe nails or get her another glass of wine or something. There is definitely something about distance making it possible to love some people more. But more on that next week.

See ya.

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July 11, 2007 · 11:37 pm

Things I love about Reub

  1. His gorilla head.
  2. His ridiculously long legs.
  3. The whites of his eyes and how they look like diamonds when he looks at me a certain way.
  4. How even though he has slept on the bed for 51/2 years he never just jumps up. He waits and waits and stares and stares until we invite him up. Every single time.
  5. How in the morning he backs into me so I will scratch his big hairy bum.
  6. How he closes his eyes when I massage his shoulders.
  7. How he thinks when I’m drying him off that I’m trying to rub his bum so he backs into me again because he thinks this is a big game.
  8. How he falls onto grass from a complete standing position onto his back and rolls and rolls and rolls around.
  9. How when we’re at our most tired he picks up the ball and heaves it across the room at us to make us play with him.
  10. How he lets me spoon and fawn over him endlessly.
  11. How he tries to sit on my head when I’m stretching.
  12. How he sits on my legs.
  13. How he loved having me pick him up all the time when he was little.
  14. How he never returns the ball ever unless you say SIT six times then he spits it out at you and walks away.
  15. How he only catches the ball if he feels like it .
  16. His big skinny gangly legs in the water when he swims.
  17. How he loves me more than anything else.
  18. How he loves Dave.
  19. How he is an unabashed sissy.
  20. How he doesn’t just love anybody.
  21. How trusting he is.
  22. How he is our best friend in every way.
  23. How he loves snow and runs around like crazy in it.
  24. How he runs in crazy circles, stops suddenly looks at you with his gorilla head and then starts all over again.
  25. His love of jumping into tall grass.
  26. How he adventures but only ever with Dave.
  27. His soul.
  28. His heart.
  29. His unconditional friendship.
  30. How when he’s feeling unsure he gives you his paw.
  31. How he likes to talk and talk and talk.
  32. How he wags his tail in the gurney even as he is being rushed into his fourth surgery.
  33. How everyone in ICU stops by and gives him kisses.
  34. How he never growls or gets mean even with caregivers who are constantly prodding him with needles, IV’s and drugs.
  35. How he gathers our smelly socks and t-shirts and uses them to build his nest.
  36. How he fusses over his nest until it’s just perfect.
  37. How he arranges my t-shirts even in ICU so all the nursing staff talk about how he lies on the shirts or makes a pillow with them.
  38. How he loves to race Dave when they’re swimming making his gangle legs go even faster.
  39. The look of determination when he’s racing Dave.
  40. How he never tires of the game he and Dave play each and every time they leave the house that always results in Reub belting down the hall at full speed looking back wildly to make sure Dave’s coming.
  41. How he wags his tail when he knows we’re going to the car.
  42. How he much prefers to be driven than walked.
  43. Did I mention his heart? I love his big big heart and his old soul.
  44. I was only going to write 10 things I love about Reub but it’s impossible to stop once you get going.

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