It's been a long time since I've said anything about my sponsor elephant Zurura.
My baby is growing up... look at those tusks!
Chasing wild dogs. Apparently he doesn't favor them.
Easing on down the road.
Showing posts with label David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Show all posts
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Friday, April 7, 2017
Zurura at Eleven Years Old
When we went to Kenya in 2005, we sponsored an elephant baby at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
Zurura was a bit over one year old when we visited him.
That little boy sure loved the mud!
Ten years later... that hasn't changed!
(That's him laying in the mud/water!)
The elephant sure has changed tho.
He's now considered a "former" orphan and has grown into a magnificent young bull.
He is living free in Tsavo National Park in the SE of Kenya.
A success story!
Monday, September 22, 2014
Our Elephant Child
Eight years ago Himself and I sponsored a little elephant through the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust ( http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org ).
He had been rescued at the age of about 2 months old from an open pit ruby mine he'd fallen into. The photo is from his rescue being prepped for the trip to Nairobi. The two guys on the right are elephant keepers from the Sheldrick Trust.
A year after that, as part of our Kenya trip we were able to 'meet' Zurura at the rescue center. He was about a year old at the time and just cutting his tusks.
He's so dirty because he just finished a good romp in the mud bath.
Anyone can visit the Sheldrick Trust and watch the babies playtime. However, sponsors can come later in the day and have one-on-one time with their elephant as they come in for bedtime.
Since 2006 our baby has become all grown up. He was moved out to the Tsavo location where the young elephants learn to be wild again... under the mentorship of both other ex-orphans and wild elephants. It's an incredible process.
Here's a photo of our boy this year. Yes, we still sponsor him and receive regular updates on his progress. He is now fully in the wild but still makes visits to see his old human friends at his old home.
Today is "Elephant Appreciation Day". Might you consider sponsoring an elephant to help continue the fantastic work Dame Sheldrick is doing in Kenya? It's only $50 a year to be a part of something incredible.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Zurura Update
It’s been a long time since I’ve given an update on our ‘elephant
child’. A bit of back-story first: we have sponsored Zurura since 2008 through
the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/ It is a center in Nairobi, Kenya that rears
milk dependent elephants and rhinos that have been orphaned. (Fifty dollars a year sponsors an elephant
baby. You get monthly updates and photos
by email.)
When we were in Kenya in ’08 we went to the center and were
able to see ‘our’ elephant. He was such
a cute little guy.
Like any little boy he enjoyed a romp in the mud.
As he matured, he was sent to the ‘half way house’ at Tsavio. Here is where the young elephants learn to
live in the wild… taught by other ‘former orphans’ who have come here before
them.
Zurura was very quick to leave the compound and become a
wild elephant once again. However, he makes
frequent visits to the water hole and the keeper snap photos for us sponsors
who want to see how our babies are doing.
He’s not a baby anymore though! Isn’t that a fine set of tusks?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Another Baby... All Grown Up Now
Four years ago I was in Kenya. In planning the things we wanted to do, I discovered the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and its “elephant orphanage” (www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org ).
After reading about their efforts to save the elephants and rhinos in Kenya, I became a sponsor of a baby named Zurura. At around 2 months old he fell into an open pit ruby mine and was trapped. From the torn up ground around where he was found, it was obvious the herd tried a long time to rescue him before they were forced to flee. This photo is from his rescue.
He was taken to the “nursery” in Nairobi where he was treated for his injuries and became part of the mini herd of orphaned babies cared for by the trained keepers.
And while we were in Kenya we had the wonderful opportunity to meet and spend some time with him! It was amazing to actually be able to stroke him.
Now little Zurura (which is Swahili for The Wanderer) is a rambunctious little guy and was shipped a year later to one of their “halfway homes” in Tsavo Park. This is where the elephants learn to be free. It’s also where ornery little boys can be disciplined by the big boys. The elephants themselves decide when they want to “cut the apron strings” and live in the wild.
For the last couple years Zurura has thrived there. Just a few days ago I received this email update:
"This month Zurura has promoted himself to the Seniors, one day simply refusing to go into his Night Stockade as usual, and instead joining a Splinter Group of Ex Orphans led by Naserian…”
My little bitty elephant has grown up and is living free.
And that is what it’s all about.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Amazing elephants - Edie and Emily
Here is an incredible story of just how intelligent elephants are. The two mama elephants are wild living orphans rescued and brought up by the Sheldrick Trust.
When you look at the photos, remember they have been living in the wild for quite a while.
On the 18th Edie brought her calf back to the Voi Stockades, wise enough to know that she needed the assistance of her erstwhile human family to save her baby, who was growing weaker because she lacked sufficient milk to nourish it during such a difficult time. With her were Mweya, Mpala and Morani and Irima. Dairy cubes and other supplements were hurriedly sent down from Nairobi, to help Edie’s milk bar and save little Ella, who thereafter became visibly stronger by the day, her mother having enjoyed supplementary feeding.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us and the Keepers Emily was trying to do the same, but her baby born last December, being older, was in a much more dire condition and, in fact, not far off dying. Therefore Emily’s journey from Ngutuni was painfully slow because little Eve was so weak, but finally she managed to make the Voi Safari Lodge waterhole, which is about 3 or 4 kms. from the Voi Stockades.
They immediately rushed back to the Stockades to get Keeper Mishak Nzimbi, who has known Emily since the day she came into the Nursery aged just l month. Mishak is, and always has been, the favourite Keeper of all our elephants, irrespective of age, and deeply trusted by Emily. Mishak walked straight up to Emily and her calf who was lying at her feet and was greeted by an outstretched trunk. He had come armed with the supplements provided for Edie, and when the calf managed to struggle to its feet to suckle, he and the other Keepers slowly accompanied Emily and her baby back to the stockades. It was a laborious journey that took the next 6 hours because the baby could only walk a few paces at a time and had to rest frequently, but in the end they made it.
For the next 2 days Emily remained at the Stockades, delighted to find Edie, her baby and some of the group already there, and embrace the newcomers newly arrived from the Nursery, namely Lesanju, Lempaute, Sinya, Shimba, Mzima, Wasessa, Tassia and Taveta. Mercifully, it had already rained in Voi, and the country was turning green, so fresh green grass and new shoots were also readily available. Once little Eve had regained some of her strength, being a wild baby, she took to giving the Keepers quite a run around, but soon understood that they were friends, rather than a foe. Other members of Emily’s unit have since begun to trickle in whilst yet others are still elsewhere. By month end both Emily and her baby along with Edie and hers were well on the road to recovery and were able to move further afield from the stockades.
Emily and Eve.
Emily following the keepers back to the stockade to bring her baby to safety.
When you look at the photos, remember they have been living in the wild for quite a while.
On the 18th Edie brought her calf back to the Voi Stockades, wise enough to know that she needed the assistance of her erstwhile human family to save her baby, who was growing weaker because she lacked sufficient milk to nourish it during such a difficult time. With her were Mweya, Mpala and Morani and Irima. Dairy cubes and other supplements were hurriedly sent down from Nairobi, to help Edie’s milk bar and save little Ella, who thereafter became visibly stronger by the day, her mother having enjoyed supplementary feeding.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us and the Keepers Emily was trying to do the same, but her baby born last December, being older, was in a much more dire condition and, in fact, not far off dying. Therefore Emily’s journey from Ngutuni was painfully slow because little Eve was so weak, but finally she managed to make the Voi Safari Lodge waterhole, which is about 3 or 4 kms. from the Voi Stockades.
They immediately rushed back to the Stockades to get Keeper Mishak Nzimbi, who has known Emily since the day she came into the Nursery aged just l month. Mishak is, and always has been, the favourite Keeper of all our elephants, irrespective of age, and deeply trusted by Emily. Mishak walked straight up to Emily and her calf who was lying at her feet and was greeted by an outstretched trunk. He had come armed with the supplements provided for Edie, and when the calf managed to struggle to its feet to suckle, he and the other Keepers slowly accompanied Emily and her baby back to the stockades. It was a laborious journey that took the next 6 hours because the baby could only walk a few paces at a time and had to rest frequently, but in the end they made it.
For the next 2 days Emily remained at the Stockades, delighted to find Edie, her baby and some of the group already there, and embrace the newcomers newly arrived from the Nursery, namely Lesanju, Lempaute, Sinya, Shimba, Mzima, Wasessa, Tassia and Taveta. Mercifully, it had already rained in Voi, and the country was turning green, so fresh green grass and new shoots were also readily available. Once little Eve had regained some of her strength, being a wild baby, she took to giving the Keepers quite a run around, but soon understood that they were friends, rather than a foe. Other members of Emily’s unit have since begun to trickle in whilst yet others are still elsewhere. By month end both Emily and her baby along with Edie and hers were well on the road to recovery and were able to move further afield from the stockades.
Edie and feisty little Ella.
Emily and Eve.Emily, with keepers Julius and Mischak working things out.
Emily following the keepers back to the stockade to bring her baby to safety.Friday, March 27, 2009
Updates from this winter
It has been a BUSY three months! But you sure can't tell it by looking at this blog. Ouch! So, I'll get y'all updated on what's been going on and then try very hard to not let it slip again.
Himself once again is up in Alaska as medical officer on the M/V Independence. They spent this season in Akutan Bay.
I've spent this winter while Deane is gone finally going thru those boxes from the move. I have sorted...put up...Goodwilled... dumped.... more boxes then you know. But I have almost finished that huge pile in the garages. And will finish them by the time Himself gets home. And I have finished with my upstairs sorting and putting up. What a relief.
Now that spring is coming, my attention is being pulled by our yard. This year we will be doing a lot of foundational work to set up future planting and seating areas. A LOT of mulching. I have been delighted by the spring bulbs that have come up in the yard. However, most will have to be moved as they are right in the areas we are going to re-do.
To help with all our yard projects, I have started attending the Montgomery Co Master Gardeners meetings. In March I was able to take their "short course" series of classes, which gave me some basic information and lots of people to call for help.
Photography is going fairly well. I'll be very happy when I get some of this home work stuff finished so I can pay more attention to it. I've had one showing with the group and entered the KY Extension Service photo contest again (received two 3rd place ribbons). I have been shooting a LOT of photos, and that is an improvement. To help with that discipline, I've started a blog photo site. I've seen a few places where people are shooting at every day and posting one photo each day that they have taken. It's called Project 365. My site is at: http://project365-teri.blogspot.com/
In January, Brenda and I decided we needed to be doing more mission type service. So Brenda and I formed a group we call "Mission Chicks". There are six of us right now and I expect a few more will come in. We are *partnering* with our church to do missions. Kinda of an "I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine" thing. When we do partner, they basically provide us the resources of people, money or name backing and we provide them with the leg work, organization/planning and recognition. It's a win-win situation. If we come up with something they don't want to be a part of, we do it anyway ourselves.
We kicked off on the 15th with a one day collection of items for one of the Mission Chicks who is going to Nicaragua on a mission trip. We didn't do badly at all.
Now we are planning in April a month long...church wide involvement...focus on our crisis pregnancy center (Hope Pregnancy Center www.clarksvillehope.com ). We're calling it "A Month of Hope".
The director is a member of our church (it's his son that I hire to help me occasionally). Rog says the 3 things they always need are 1. disposable diapers 2. formula 3. maternity clothes. So we are organizing collections of all three! We're going to have a competition between the elementary kids (girls v boys) on who can bring in the most diapers. Winner will get something (TBD). The adult community groups will collect formula. And we will have a hamper at church that anyone can drop off maternity clothes in. Also, the center has a deck that needs painting and landscaping to be neatened. Our youth will be doing that one Saturday.
And besides that... (as if that is not enough) we have a breakfast to host at the site of a room makeover for an ill teenager, a community Easter egg hunt and a team for the Koman Race for the Cure that will be here in Clarksville on 18 April.
In for a penny... in for a pound!!
Beginning of the year, we received notice that our first Compassion child - Sintayehu from Ethiopia - had left the program. She will turn 21 this July. She decided it was time to leave school and enter adult life. We had been her sponsors for 8 years.
Then a short time after that I received notice that my favorite Compassion "writing buddy" (a program in Compassion to write sponsored children whose sponsors - for whatever reason - will not write them) had lost his sponsor. Did I want to take him on? It didn't take long to answer that query with a "Yes!". I will post about Sundar a bit later on.
And towards the end of Jan, a girl in the Kenya's Kids In Need program needed a co-sponsor. I had wanted an older student (the other 2 we sponsor thru them are in 4th and 5th grades). Ivine is also an orphan and lives in the boarding house portion of the school. I'll write more about her later on also.
And a bit of housekeeping on some older posts...
On 7 Feb I posted about the Sheldrick Trust rescuing the tiny baby rhino "Maalim". I am happy to let you know that he is thriving and has doubled his size in that time.
11 March I posted an appeal for Compassion sponsored "Global Food Crisis Day". Compassion was hoping to raise $1M in this campaign... instead they raised $3.1M!!! Incredible!!!
OK, now that I have this done... I will really try harder to be a better blogger!
Himself once again is up in Alaska as medical officer on the M/V Independence. They spent this season in Akutan Bay.
I've spent this winter while Deane is gone finally going thru those boxes from the move. I have sorted...put up...Goodwilled... dumped.... more boxes then you know. But I have almost finished that huge pile in the garages. And will finish them by the time Himself gets home. And I have finished with my upstairs sorting and putting up. What a relief.
Now that spring is coming, my attention is being pulled by our yard. This year we will be doing a lot of foundational work to set up future planting and seating areas. A LOT of mulching. I have been delighted by the spring bulbs that have come up in the yard. However, most will have to be moved as they are right in the areas we are going to re-do.
To help with all our yard projects, I have started attending the Montgomery Co Master Gardeners meetings. In March I was able to take their "short course" series of classes, which gave me some basic information and lots of people to call for help.
Photography is going fairly well. I'll be very happy when I get some of this home work stuff finished so I can pay more attention to it. I've had one showing with the group and entered the KY Extension Service photo contest again (received two 3rd place ribbons). I have been shooting a LOT of photos, and that is an improvement. To help with that discipline, I've started a blog photo site. I've seen a few places where people are shooting at every day and posting one photo each day that they have taken. It's called Project 365. My site is at: http://project365-teri.blogspot.com/
In January, Brenda and I decided we needed to be doing more mission type service. So Brenda and I formed a group we call "Mission Chicks". There are six of us right now and I expect a few more will come in. We are *partnering* with our church to do missions. Kinda of an "I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine" thing. When we do partner, they basically provide us the resources of people, money or name backing and we provide them with the leg work, organization/planning and recognition. It's a win-win situation. If we come up with something they don't want to be a part of, we do it anyway ourselves.
We kicked off on the 15th with a one day collection of items for one of the Mission Chicks who is going to Nicaragua on a mission trip. We didn't do badly at all.
Now we are planning in April a month long...church wide involvement...focus on our crisis pregnancy center (Hope Pregnancy Center www.clarksvillehope.com ). We're calling it "A Month of Hope".
The director is a member of our church (it's his son that I hire to help me occasionally). Rog says the 3 things they always need are 1. disposable diapers 2. formula 3. maternity clothes. So we are organizing collections of all three! We're going to have a competition between the elementary kids (girls v boys) on who can bring in the most diapers. Winner will get something (TBD
And besides that... (as if that is not enough) we have a breakfast to host at the site of a room makeover for an ill teenager, a community Easter egg hunt and a team for the Koman Race for the Cure that will be here in Clarksville on 18 April.
In for a penny... in for a pound!!
Beginning of the year, we received notice that our first Compassion child - Sintayehu from Ethiopia - had left the program. She will turn 21 this July. She decided it was time to leave school and enter adult life. We had been her sponsors for 8 years.
Then a short time after that I received notice that my favorite Compassion "writing buddy" (a program in Compassion to write sponsored children whose sponsors - for whatever reason - will not write them) had lost his sponsor. Did I want to take him on? It didn't take long to answer that query with a "Yes!". I will post about Sundar a bit later on.
And towards the end of Jan, a girl in the Kenya's Kids In Need program needed a co-sponsor. I had wanted an older student (the other 2 we sponsor thru them are in 4th and 5th grades). Ivine is also an orphan and lives in the boarding house portion of the school. I'll write more about her later on also.
And a bit of housekeeping on some older posts...
On 7 Feb I posted about the Sheldrick Trust rescuing the tiny baby rhino "Maalim". I am happy to let you know that he is thriving and has doubled his size in that time.
11 March I posted an appeal for Compassion sponsored "Global Food Crisis Day". Compassion was hoping to raise $1M in this campaign... instead they raised $3.1M!!! Incredible!!!
OK, now that I have this done... I will really try harder to be a better blogger!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
My Twelve Days Of CHRISTmas
On the FIRST day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…A child free from bondage
On the SECOND day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On THIRD the day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the FOURTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Four walls for a family in crisis
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the day FIFTH of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the SIXTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the SEVENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the EIGHTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the NINETH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the TENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the ELEVENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…an Eleven item meal for a needy family
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the TWELFTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Twelve writing buddies
…an Eleven item meal for a needy family.
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
*Samaritan’s Purse http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
*David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
*Salvation Army Angel Tree child
* Child sponsorship programs through:
Compassion International http://www.compassion.com/
Kenya Kids In Need http://www.galileeschool.org/
His Hands For Haiti http://www.hishandsforhaiti.org/
*Through Army friends sponsoring a school
…A child free from bondage
On the SECOND day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On THIRD the day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the FOURTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Four walls for a family in crisis
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the day FIFTH of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the SIXTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the SEVENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the EIGHTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the NINETH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the TENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the ELEVENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…an Eleven item meal for a needy family
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
On the TWELFTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Twelve writing buddies
…an Eleven item meal for a needy family.
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage
*Samaritan’s Purse http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
*David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
*Salvation Army Angel Tree child
* Child sponsorship programs through:
Compassion International http://www.compassion.com/
Kenya Kids In Need http://www.galileeschool.org/
His Hands For Haiti http://www.hishandsforhaiti.org/
*Through Army friends sponsoring a school
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