Meet Adine Roode, the phenomenal woman rehabilitating orphaned elephants. 

I strongly second this. It's incredible.

Love her HERD channel ❤

Adine reminds me of Dame Daphne of the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. The only difference is that Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage releases all the elephants back into the wild. It's awesome. Watch the documentary.

It's actually not that different. As Shepherd said here, they're still wild animals. They have the support and supplements and safe haven of the stables at night, but during the day they walk around the wildlife reserve and swim and mud bathe and dust and browse and forage and play and spar and chase other animals and protect against predators and take care of the babies and love each other in their herd-family--all the things elephants do naturally in the wild. With Sheldrick, the elephants are raised in rehabilitation centers in Tsavo National Park and one in Umani Springs, an easier environment for elephants with disabilities. There the carers offer the same kind of care: support, supplements, veterinary treatment and the safety of night-time communal compounds. They also offer milk and parental supervision for the younger orphans who have just come from the Nairobi Nursery. As the elephants grow up, they choose if and when they return to the wild. They are never actually released, they are just free to come and go as they please. (If dependant orphans who still need milk and protection go missing in a panic stampede or something, they will of course find them and guide the very grateful and relieved babies back to the herd. But if they're old enough and choose to go, they are allowed to leave and monitored to make sure they are doing okay.) Some elephants join a wild herd and never return. But most of them form herds of ex-orphans and come back to visit or when they are wounded and need help. In recent years of climate-crisis droughts, providing water has saved the lives of ex orphans and wild elephants alike, as well as all manner of animals. It's amazing to see enormous wild bulls patiently waiting for the bowser truck to fill the water trough. Also some of the orphaned bulls who have completely returned to the wild still return regularly to check on all their little brothers and sisters. Especially Laikipia, who reminds me of Jabulani and how he always came to check on Khanyisa like the wonderful big brother he is. Laikipia is 24 and a magnificent big bull, awe-inspiring but gentle. Though completely rewilded and independent, he regularly visits the reintegration centre and gently interacts with the small orphans, giving them, much needed knowledge of older wild elephants and a role model to learn from. At first the new babies run away, having never seen such an enormous elephant before. Then they heroworship him, dogging his footsteps like puppies and emulating all his behaviours. Laikipia has been wild for over a decade but has never ceased to visit the orphans regularly. The most wonderful thing is the mothers always immediately return to introduce their newborns, 55 so far, plus a "great grandchild." They never force an elephant to go wild, nor shut the door on them if they return for whatever reason. For example, Murera who has permanent injuries to her hind legs after stepping on a spike trap (humans can be so cruel, like Khanyisa's injuries from the snare were horrific!) Murera is the matriarch of the Umani Springs herd having survived but with a severe limp. She, unlike the others, avoids wild elephants probably due to her disability. She adopted as her son a young bull named Luggard the Lionheart whose hind knee had been shattered by a bullet. When he died after years of brave struggle, Murera was devastated. She who never left her herd nor went near wild elephants, went on a "wild safari" for a few days then returned. Pregnant, as it turned out. She evidently wanted a baby to fill the hole left by Luggard. She has never left her herd again and just gave birth to a little girl named Mwana. Up until now, all wild born babies have been born to mothers who returned to the wild. But though they left her out the first night to see if she would rewild, that did not go well and they had scrapes and bruises the next day. So the second night they offered Murera her usual "bedroom" and Murera brought Mwana inside. As Murera has difficulty walking she cannot protect her baby as a mother normally would. And as Murera is the matriarch she feels responsible for all the younger orphans. So the carers are leaving the door open either way, she can stay at the reintegration centre or as Mwana gets older join or form a wild herd. All that to say (sorry, I'm really wordy!) that what HERD and SWT are doing is really different shades of grey rather than a black and white difference. They are both providing a rehabilitation compound and a protected wild park in slightly different ways. I think the biggest difference is HERD cannot let the rehabilitated elephants run free as the reserve is also home to ecotourism facilities and the HERD elephants are wild but human-habituated, and not being afraid of people in a park with many people could lead to dangerous situations. They would have to be translocated to another park with lots of human-free wilderness, which would separate the elephants that want to go wild from the elephants that want to stay home with their human-elephant family. So HERD simply can't let its elephants go completely wild the way SWT can, simply due to the safety concerns and constraints of their location.

Love her channel became subscriber during lock down Love the work she does Now I got to know her little bit more of her back ground How the herd started what is all involved with maintaining the food sources as well. keeping the grounds in a continuous use by using all thier natural raw materials with the Elephant dung recycling for new soil Very Entellgent wise business management she runs Love her for she cares deeply for the young orphan Elephants with sever injuries They need her help with the help of her other successful orphan Elephants that have been there since the beginning 25 yrs have learned to adapt baby orphan Elephants like themselves who were caught in snares extra Thankful I came across this channel Interviewed her showed more of the grounds as well like the lounge area so much more normal what it all looks like real time if one was to visit 💌

Yes, Alina! Life definitely changed for me when I started watching in 2020. There was a hopeful shift inside me that has only strengthened over the years. There are good people, good works and beautiful outcomes happening.

Loved your comments ❤

Si vero!

*Preciously

I added a link to it on my comment. I hope they pin it. Not enough people know about our check the drop box.

@@GuantanamoBayBarbie3 Oh good 👍 it's ridiculous for them not to include links?? But I'm just surprised RU-vid let you add a link without deleting it! I try to mention HERD on other videos, but didn't know I could link! Thanks 🤍

Lammie isn't that old 😂 don't need to lie about stuff

Amen to that statement!!❤

It is the very best channel

March... (Women's history month)

I'm a woman and I find it encouraging to see responsible women in charge. I didn't grow up with any outstanding female achievers around me. Might not be for you so next time just move on without leaving a snarky comment.

Daphne Sheldrick and her daughter Angela of Sheldrick Wildlife Trust are also female!

​@@suemick8709 Ironically, I'm one of the female 'pioneers' in my own profession and find it immensely condescending to be called out as such. How sad when gender matters more than accomplishments.

​@@TheErik249 Gotcha.

Confermo!