An update from Meli Souter, Animal Works’ elephant adoption co-ordinator:
After our last post on the sick calves at the CWRC we couldn’t wait to let everyone know the much better news that the calves are all recovering fast and doing much better. Read More
I said it last time and I’ll say it again – the best thing about Animal Works’ Imagine Africa dinners isn’t making loads of money for Zimbabwean anti-poaching, nor is it hanging out with some of Australia’s biggest names in African publishing, or even the chance to win a luxury safari in Africa, although these things ARE absolutely brilliant, and alone are worth coming for. For me, the best thing about last night was the crowd. Talking to people about Africa and sharing stories with people who begin as strangers and by the end of the night become friends, united in a common passion for Africa and its wildlife. Read More
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s been a sad turn of events at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Assam. Early April found Dihing, Junmoni, Tora and Chandi Bandha all sick. All four calves lost substantial amounts of weight and refused to feed regularly. Little Philip-Dev also showed signs of illness but to a far lesser degree. The cause of this affliction is still unknown but a thorough investigation is being conducted by staff. Read More
It’s not that often that opportunities to visit Kenya with a best-selling novelist who knows the place (and its history) like the back of his hand, so when Frank Coates and I first got chatting a couple of months ago about him leading an Animal Works expedition I was pretty excited. And I’m even more excited today to be able to announce that Frank will be leading an Animal Works expedition to Kenya in June. Yes, this is just a couple of months away so you’ll need to get in quick for this one! We need a minimum of 6 people to fill this trip, 12 at most. Read More
From Animal Works’ co-founder, Dr Tammie Matson:
A few days after Animal Works’ first Imagine Africa dinner, one of our volunteers from Sydney, Shirley Minassian (right), flew to Zimbabwe to spend some time working at the Humani Primary School in the Save Valley Conservancy. Shirley is an IT professional and a passionate animal lover, and she was looking for an opportunity to use her skills to help in conservation. I’ve always believed that anyone and everyone can be a conservationist. You don’t need to be a scientist, as I once thought as a budding wildlife conservationist twenty years ago. That’s the path I took, but there’s a lot we can all do to help, whether you are an accountant, a computer expert or a preschool teacher. Read More
Whilst we love writing about the orphaned elephant calves at the CWRC in our regular blogs, we are going one better this time and and showing you some actual footage…. Beware, this video will kill you with its cuteness!
Meli Souter, who runs Animal Works’ elephant adoption program, took a video camera with her when she visited the CWRC earlier this year and the result of that is her short video field diary. So we will let her introduce you to all the current elephant orphans, as well as some of the other residents, including a gorgeous tiger cub.
The aim is for these animals to go back to the wild to live a natural life. In January last year 5 elephant calves from the CWRC – Hamren, Tikla, Tinku, Sikom and Soni, were taken to Manas National Park for this purpose.
Soni had been brought into the CWRC in September 2007. Her herd had gone into a village to eat crops and when the villagers chased them away she was left behind. The villagers saw her in the jungle and took out their anger at their crop damage on her, injuring her trunk, but they also did something great – they handed her over to forest officials who handed her over to the CWRC.
Soni was hand raised for over 3 years and recovered from all her injuries to become a very healthy little calf. She formed strong relationships with the other orphaned elephants has now been living in Manas for just over a year.
On the morning of February 24th 2012, trackers spotted Soni (with both Tinku and Sikom nearby) mingling with a wild elephant herd. Here is some incredible footage taken by Wildlife Trust of India staff, showing Soni, once a baby elephant calf being hand raised, now living a natural life in the wild. These are the kind of success stories that remind us why we have to keep our elephant adoption program going. This is what your support helps Animal Works and our on-ground partner, the Wildlife Trust of India, to achieve. 
From Animal Works’ co-founder, Tammie Matson:
Rhino at Humani (Shirley took this photo this week)
In just a couple of months, I’m off to Zimbabwe with Michael Jeh from Barefoot in Africa safaris and ten very excited people from Sydney. This is not your average safari, you see. Sure, we will be in Big Five areas among elephants, rhinos, African wild dogs and hippos, just to name a little of the wildlife we’ve got a good chance of seeing, but there’s so much more than that. Animal Works expeditions are unique in that they are a safari holiday offering you the chance to give something back while you’re there. A donation to our projects in the field which you visit while on the trip is included in the price and you can help out when you’re there.
Following the success of last weeks’ Imagine Africa dinner, we thought it was time to draw the winner of Nafisa’s framed African elephant drawing, the online competition we have been running since September. Thanks to everyone who entered. The $1000 we raised all goes to our Indian elephant projects in Assam. Read More
Nafisa, Tony Park, Tammie Matson, Peter Allison & Sally Henderson
A word from Animal Works’ co-founder, Tammie Matson:
It’s taken me a day to recover from the huge night that was Animal Works’ first ever Imagine Africa dinner. Wow! What a night! I don’t think I’m the only one who just about fell off my chair hearing Peter Allison talk about the day he was stung by a scorpion, all to provide water for local wildlife in Botswana. As for Tony Park, who regaled us with a story about a very close call with a rhino in Hwange National Park, and Sally Henderson, who shared her deep fear of spiders which led to her running naked through a herd of elephants, well let’s just say it was almost as good as being in Africa – not a dull moment! What a terrific, fun night shared by Africa-lovers from Sydney & beyond, as far as Tassie, Brisie, Darwin and Melbourne! Read More
There’s only one thing better than going to Africa…. and that’s going to Africa on a trip that you’ve won! As part of their sponsorship of Animal Works’ first ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner on 22nd February, The Classic Safari Company is offering you the chance to win a 6 night/7 day safari to Zimbabwe worth US$4000!! This incredible prize also includes a gorgeous set of safari luggage.
We’re offering the opportunity to you to buy tickets online now for $20 each or 3 for $50. A maximum of 500 tickets will be sold and the draw will be at the ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner on 22nd February. Just click here to go to our payment page where you can pay securely using paypal. For other payment methods, contact Tammie at animalworksaustralia@gmail.com
This amazing prize includes:
1 night The Peermont Metcourt at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg
2 nights Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls Zimbabwe
3 nights Davisons Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Includes:
Excludes:
Blackout dates will apply (high season, Christmas, Easter and school holidays) and travel must be undertaken prior to 31 December 2012. Maximum of 2 people sharing one room. Minimum age 12 years (could be negotiated).
To those of you who managed to get tickets to the ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner on 22nd February, there will also be an exclusive raffle on the night for one of Nafisa’s magnificent African elephant artworks. Tickets for the art raffle will be $10 each and only 100 will be sold.
If you missed out on the first ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner with African authors Tony Park, Peter Allison, Sally Henderson and Tammie Matson, never fear, you can come to the next one on 18th April! Tony Park and Tammie Matson will be there, as well as 7-time African novelist, Frank Coates and co-author of “A Lion Called Christian”, Ace Bourke. Book quickly to get your tickets as fantastic prizes are again going to be on offer for the second night, most of them exclusive to those who come! Tickets can be bought by phoning Ripples on 02 99603000. Don’t forget, it’s all for a good cause – anti-poaching in Zimbabwe. $50 from your $95 ticket for a 3 course meal and wine goes to Animal Works’ Zimbabwean conservation fund.
