By Justine Williams | Head of Foundation
A Season of Growth, Gratitude and Groundbreaking Care
I’m delighted to share our latest update from our local project partner in Botswana, Elephant Havens, where activity is thriving, not just as the country’s only elephant orphanage, but as a powerful example of what compassionate and effective elephant conservation really looks like.
Orphaned elephants continue to receive round-the-clock care, emotional healing, and a safe, nurturing environment where the elephants can learn, play, and eventually return to the wild.
Veterinary Care That Saves Lives
With the recent arrival of a full-time on-site vet, Elephant Havens has taken a huge step forward in how elephants are cared for. This veterinary support is now:
A Day in the Life of a Baby Elephant
Each day begins with a morning walk, followed by the first milk bottle at 8am. The little ones are fed first, followed by the older babies who are starting to wean. The rest of the day is spent exploring the 250 acres, napping in the shade, having bottles out in the bush and splashing in the sand quarry before heading to their own bomas at night with fresh mopane branches to settle them for sleep.
Expanding to Meet the Need
With more than 30 elephants in care and over 50 team members on site, our local project partner has continued to build their facilities to keep everyone healthy and safe.
In recent months, they’ve:
“Our team is the heart of this place and your support means they no longer have to camp in tents to do this work." Bee Poloko, Co-Founder at Elephant Havens
The Community thrives with the Elephants
On the community front, our project partner, Elephant Havens, turns problems into solutions. From a starting point of human-elephant co-existance, caring for the elephants continues to bring income to the community which are later invested in the needs of local people. Since our last report, these have included new toilet facilities and continued bus operations for three different schools to safely transfer local children through elephant areas.
The elephant dung paper project also continues to bring income generating benefits to the community and resources for local schools.
Your continued support is hugely appreciated. One new urgent need is additional veterinary equipment including a new dart gun and red dot scope for the safe and more gentle rescue of elephant orphans. We hope you will continue to support this project and help build our fund towards securing an additional US$5,500 (UK£4,000) to help reach this next funding goal.
Thank you again for your kind support.
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