Elephants are known for their big hearts and long-term memory, so follow their lead this Saturday 12th August and remember to celebrate World Elephant Day. The World Elephant Day Organisation spreads awareness about human-animal conflict, poaching and the habitat loss suffered by Asian and African elephants. The organisation works to raise important funds that will improve enforcement policies, demolish the ivory trade and reintroduce captive elephants into protected sanctuaries or non-exploitive environments.
It’s a big task, made a little easier by giant helpers like the African elephant bull Rambo. Rambo, his partner Jabulani, daughter Rachel, and their four keepers, are a free roaming family in the Bayete Zulu Game Reserve. The keepers protect Rambo and his family from poachers and traps, while simultaneously stopping the massive male from encroaching on local farmland. Their behemoth buddies return the favour by protecting the keepers from lions and wild animals, as the group roams throughout the day. In fact, the bond between elephant and human is so strong that when one of the keepers had their Visa revoked, staff were touched to see Rambo peer through the window of his lost friend’s hut every morning to check if he was back. It’s an odd friendship, to say the least, but one that embodies the harmonious spirit of World Elephant Day.
For more information about World Elephant Day and donating to a worthy cause, visit: http://worldelephantday.org/about