The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

We recently got back in touch with The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to ask if they would like OpinionWorld members to fundraise for the great work they do in the UK and Kenya to help orphaned elephants.

Rob Brandford, the UK Manager told us that our timing was unbelievable, as they were just about to try and find ways to raise £4,800 for the construction of new elephant stables at their Nairobi orphanage. 

He told us that 'This year has been very hard on wildlife in Africa, with droughts affecting wide arrays of National Parks and poaching on the rise also.  Elephants in particular are having a tough time, as since CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) legalised one-off ivory sales to China and Japan last year (from four Southern African Nations), the illegal ivory trade has soared and poaching of elephants has increased rapidly.  Today a poacher can expect to receive up to USD$50 for a kilo of ivory, whereas before last year's legalised sales he might expect only USD$5 for the same ivory.
 

With poaching on the rise, there has been an increase in the number of orphaned elephants, as their parents are murdered for their tusks.  This year we have been called to a record number of rescues, over 35 already and there are still more than 3 months until the end of the year.  Sadly, of those rescued, some have been too weak to survive, or too badly injured having been caught in the cross fire of poachers, with spear wounds and arrow wounds!  At the time of writing we have 27 orphan elephants under the age of 2 years at the Nairobi Nursery - this is 3 times the number we had in 2007.

Orphan  numbers slowly began to increase in 2008 and at the end of the year a new stable block was built to house 3 elephants, 6 if they share stables (not ideal but possible), then another set of new stables was built in March as elephant numbers continued to increase.  Well now, some months later and the situation remains bleak for elephants and with 27 charges at this time, we are having to put two orphans to a stable and without expansion before the year end that might become three - not a situation we wish to envisage or that the orphans probably want to envisage either'...

The DSWT have surveyed their site and identified a suitable location for another stable block and have told us that this is what they would really like the raised funds that we will collect to go towards.

The images are shared with us from The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and show the elephants that were rescued on Friday 4th, Saturday 5th and then Sunday 6th September 2009- the first time they've ever had to rescue three elephants in a row and also pictures of what the stables will look like once they are built.

Why not take an online survey today with OpinionWorld and donate to this great project and see the funds raised make a big difference to these orphaned elephants.

If you wish to know more about The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust why not visit:
http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/

Registered UK charity number: 1103836

All Photographs in this website are Copyright by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and cannot be used without permission.