- Dear Family and Friends,
-
- 'An elephant never forgets' is a very well-known saying
and I shouldn't think there are many people who have had the opportunity
to put the saying to the test. I am one who has and it was an experience
I will never forget. In the 1980's, shortly after Zimbabwe's independence,
I spent nine years as the Estate Manager of a wildlife conservation centre
on the outskirts of Harare. One of my duties was to hand rear orphaned
baby elephants and then calm them to a degree where they could safely be
reintroduced into the semi wild environment of Zimbabwe's game farms. In
the four years that it took to rear a baby elephant until it could fend
for itself, I became a surrogate mother. I taught it how to suck my fingers
which were dipped in milk and then to drink from a bucket. I learnt how
to lance an abscess, how to discipline it the way its' mother would by
biting its tail, how to rescue it when it got stuck in mud, how to help
it when it got bloat from eating too much cabbage, how to imitate its rumbling
call and how to introduce it to other elephants. One of the elephants I
reared was named Rundi and she took a piece of my heart the day she left
my caring and loving hands to be relocated to one of Zimbabwe's most famous
game farms.
-
- Twelve years later and just before Zimbabwe's political
madness began, I went to that game farm and saw Rundi again and yes, it
is true, elephants do not forget. Standing in a group of a dozen other
people, Rundi knew me immediately. By then she towered over me and had
enormous tusks but she walked past everyone and came straight to me, rested
her trunk in my hair, sniffed my neck and face and rumbled softly before
gently mouthing my arm.
-
- Three and half years into Zimbabwe's land invasions I
cannot find the strength within myself to discover what has happened to
Rundi. I could not bear the pain of knowing that perhaps she has been killed
by poachers, starved by men who may have seized that game farm or is terrified,
hiding and running from government supporters and political heavyweights
who seem hell bent on completely destroying Zimbabwe's wildlife heritage.
-
- There is one very brave man in Zimbabwe desperately trying
to help save what is left of Zimbabwe's wildlife, his name is Johnny Rodrigues
and this week I heard his incredible story. In 2001 Johnny went to our
Minister of Tourism, Francis Nhema and offered his services for free to
the Minister. At that time Johnny was concerned about the appalling levels
of fish poaching in Kariba and the Minister was delighted to accept Johnny's
help, There were illegal nets to be seized, poachers to be caught, boats
to be repaired and food and fuel needed to give to men conducting anti
poaching patrols. When Johnny discovered that a Minister's sister was at
the head of the fish poaching ring, he was cut off by the Minister of Tourism
and banned from our National Parks. Members of the CIO tried to have him
deported, his house was raided and his life's work and possessions stolen.
To add insult to injury Johnny's partners then asked him to withdraw from
their small business saying they were being politically targeted by having
Johnny in the company. Johnny is determined that he will not stop, he has
made it his mission to save what he can of our wildlife and to expose politicians
who are raping Zimbabwe's heritage.
-
- Johnny's lone voice, for the love of an elephant or sable,
a fish or a river, is one that is in desperate need of support.
-
- Whenever he can Johnny goes out to what is left of our
game farms. What he is discovering is horrific beyond words. On one remote
game ranch he recorded the decline in wild animals due to poaching and
hunting since land seizures began. In 2000 there were 200 eland on the
property, now there are 12. Zebras have gone from 120 to 35, giraffe from
60 to 9 and nyala from 30 to 0. On some game farms owners have been forced
to herd the game into small paddocks and bomas and feed them from bought
stock feed, desperate to save whatever they can. In one boma Johnny found
a herd of 160 sable antelope which were waiting to be exported by a wealthy
businessman who had apparently acquired them from an evicted game farmer.
The sable were hugely malnourished and had badly infected feet from living
for so long in cramped conditions and on heavily soiled ground. Thanks
to Johnny and a few donors, the sable were professionally darted, tranquilized,
had their hooves treated and were given antibiotics to start them on the
road back to health.
-
- In five weeks time, Johnny and his family will have nowhere
to live as they have been told to vacate their rented home in Harare. Johnny
needs money for fuel so that he can get out to remote areas. He needs to
be able to pay people to conduct anti poaching patrols. He needs finances
for feed and drugs for animals who are being kept alive in bomas. I dare
not ask Johnny to find out what has happened to Rundi, that little baby
elephant I reared, who had not forgotten me. But I do ask you, if you want
to help Johnny and be a part of saving what is left of our wildlife, please
contact him urgently. His email address is: <mailto:galorand@mweb.co.zw>galorand@mweb.co.zw
, his website: <http://www.zctf.mweb.co.zw>www.zctf.mweb.co.zw
-
- Further to my list last week of other organisations desperately
in need of support, I apologise for the error in the addresses for the
Zimbabwe Appeal Fund which caters for victims of political violence and
torture. These should be: <mailto:r.monro@virgin.net>r.monro@virgin.net
and <mailto:robmonro@ntlworld.com>robmonro@ntlworld.com
-
- Until next week,
-
- with love, cathy.
-
-
- Copyright cathy buckle, 25th October 2003. <http://africantears.netfirms.com>http://africantears.netfirms.com
- For copies of my books on Zimbabwe's turmoil: "African
Tears" and "Beyond Tears" please contact: <mailto:handzup_02@hotmail.com>handzup_02@hotmail.com
in the UK; <mailto:johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com>johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com
in Australia and New Zealand and <http://www.exclusivebooks.com>www.exclusivebooks.com
or <http://www.kalahari.net>www.kalahari.net in Africa
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