Extinction – Page 8 – PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE

HELP KANGAROO ISLAND WILDLIFE PARK TREAT ANIMALS INJURED IN THE AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRES

Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park

The Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park has been overwhelmed by the kindness, good wishes and support from the Australian and international community for the wildlife icon, the Koala.

At least 25,000 Koalas are believed to have died in a horrific wildfire in South Australia that may have devastating consequences for the survival of the species.

**Four dead Koalas lie on a vet’s table in Lismore**

The fire on Kangaroo Island, which was considered a Koala safe-haven because its population had escaped a devastating chlamydia epidemic, was described as “virtually unstoppable” on Saturday by firefighters.

Koala rescuer Margaret Hearle stated that another important Koala population, nicknamed “the gene pool” because of its good health, had been “wiped out” in Crestwood, New South Wales.

Due to the recent tragic bushfires, the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park has received a lot of concerned phone calls and messages regarding the impacted wildlife from these fires.

Over the past few days they have started to see a large number of injured Koalas, along with other native species heavily impacted by this event. They have been treating these victims as best they can to supply pain relief, antibiotics, treatment to wounds and basic husbandry requirements. They spent most of January 3rd building extra holding enclosures as well as defending the park from the immediate threat of the fire and will continue to prepare more infrastructure to house the extra wildlife they expect to see over the coming weeks.

**A KOALA RECOVERS AT THE KANGAROO ISLAND WILDLIFE PARK**

They need much-needed funds to help with veterinary costs, Koala milk and supplements, extra holding/rehabilitation enclosures, as well as setting up a building to hold supplies to treat these animals.

Donations go directly towards the Koalas and other wildlife that they have coming in from the fires for their care, triage and ongoing treatments, housing, essential equipment, feed and more.

They are working around the clock with a highly experienced, qualified and dedicated team of volunteers including qualified vets, vet nurses and wildlife carers to rescue, rehabilitate and care for all of the animals coming in from the bushfires.

Sam Mitchell, owner of Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park

On admittance to the unit, all efforts are made to rehydrate, treat and assess the wildlife by their vet care team. Many are being treated for severe burns with most burns being to their hands, feet and rumps.

They are providing the best care possible for our injured wildlife and due to the significant habitat loss they will be building exhibits to hold the treated Koalas until arrangements can be made to release them back into the wild where possible.

**SOME OF THE KOALAS WHO SURVIVED THE FIRES IN THE RECOVERY UNIT**

Kangaroo Island is well known for its thriving Koala population however over 150,000 hectares has been lost due to recent events, this will effect our Koala population dramatically. We ALL need to pull together to save this Australian icon. Once conditions improve and they are granted access to fire ground, a qualified team will be going out to rescue wildlife caught in the fires and relocate those left without a food source or home.

PLEASE HELP RAISE MUCH-NEEDED FUNDS FOR THE KANGAROO ISLAND WILDLIFE PARK

To help raise funds for this vital project we are donating ALL proceeds from the sale of Badges, Brooches, Car Stickers, Tote Bags, Jewellery and Conservation Packs to help the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park treat animals affected by the #AustralianFires.

They are available from the Protect All Wildlife store at http://protect-all-wildlife.ecwid.com

Animal Advocacy, Animal Rescue, Animal Welfare, Environment, Wildlife Conservation/ Tags Australia, Bushfires, Dying Wildlife, Kangaroos, Koalas

The Amazing Story Of The Elephant Whisperer Lawrence Anthony.

When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 7 ‘rogue’ and ‘trouble-making’ Elephants on his reserve at Thula Thula in 1999, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd’s last chance of survival – notorious escape artists, they would all be killed if Lawrence wouldn’t take them. He agreed, but before arrangements for the move could be completed the animals broke out again and the matriarchand her baby were shot. The remaining Elephants were traumatised and very angry. As soon as they arrived at Thula Thula they started planning their escape.

As Lawrence battled to create a bond with the Elephants and save them from execution, he came to realise that they had a lot to teach him about love, loyalty and freedom. Set against the background of life on the reserve, with unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, he wrote The Elephant Whisperer, a book that appealed to animal lovers worldwide.The original herd of 7 Elephants has now increased to 29 Elephants, the maximum sustainable capacity of Thula Thula.

In March 2012, Lawrence Anthony passed away. His family spoke of a solemn procession of elephants that defies human explanation.

For 12 hours, two herds of wild South African elephants slowly made their way through the Zululand bush until they reached the house of Lawrence Anthony. The formerly violent, rogue elephants, destined to be shot a few years ago as pests, were rescued and rehabilitated by Lawrence.

They stood around the house in an apparent vigil for two days, and then dispersed.

“They had not visited the house for a year and a half and it must have taken them about 12 hours to make the journey,” Lawrence’s son Dylan said. “The first herd arrived on Sunday and the second herd, a day later. They all hung around for about two days before making their way back into the bush.”

But how did the elephants know Lawrence had died?

“A good man died suddenly,” says Rabbi Leila Gal Berner, Ph.D., “and from miles and miles away, two herds of elephants, sensing that they had lost a beloved human friend, moved in a solemn, almost ‘funereal’ procession to make a call on the bereaved family at the deceased man’s home.”

“If there ever were a time, when we can truly sense the wondrous interconnectedness of all beings, it is when we reflect on the elephants of Thula Thula. A man’s heart’s stops, and hundreds of elephants’ hearts are grieving. This man’s oh-so-abundantly loving heart offered healing to these elephants, and now, they came to pay loving homage to their friend.”

**Elephants Travel 12 Hours To Attend A Vigil For The Man Who Rescued Them**

Thanks to the local community, Thula Thula has the opportunity to add a further 3500 hectares of land to increase their habitat. This solution requires 35 km of electric fencing as well as roads, increased security, guard training, security equipment and vehicles, conservation, land management and the list just go on, to keep the wildlife safe. Community projects such as this, not only support the wildlife but also improve local employment and education.

Goodbye Iman, Malaysia’s Last Sumatran Rhino.

With the death of Iman, Malaysia has lost its last Sumatran Rhinoceros today.

She had been battling an illness prior to her death.

According to the Sabah Wildlife Department, Iman died at 5.35pm of natural causes, categorised as shock.

**Iman, Malaysia’s Last Sumatran Rhino Has died.**

“Iman’s death came sooner than we had expected. “But we knew that she was starting to suffer significant pain from the growing pressure of the tumours into the bladder,” said Augustine Tuuga, director of Sabah Wildlife Department in a statement.

The statement added that veterinarian at Borneo Rhino Sanctuary Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin, had earlier today suggested to start using morphine tomorrow, as other painkillers were becoming insufficient.

The Sabah Wildlife Department had hoped that it would still be possible to obtain some egg cells from Iman for the proposed Malaysia-Indonesia collaboration on this species.

But the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding is still pending.

It was reported that State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew had said the state government is hoping to expedite the legality process with Indonesia to fertilise Iman’s egg with the republic’s male Rhino and surrogate female Rhino.

“I would like to inform our counterparts in Indonesia that I am keen to pursue the MoU. Iman’s death is a tragedy, but this is one event in a bigger picture.

“There are still ways in which our twin countries can usefully collaborate based on our different experience over the past decade.

“For Sabah that includes management of female Sumatran Rhinos with reproductive pathology, safe harvesting of gametes from living Rhinos, and cell culture. Iman and Tam both live on as cell cultures in Malaysia,” said Liew.

Despite knowing that Iman’s death was imminent, Liew said she was still very saddened by this news.

“Iman was given the very best care and attention ever since her capture in March 2014 right up to the moment she passed.

“No one could have done more. She was actually quite close to death when sudden massive blood loss from the uterine tumours occurred on several occasions over the past few years,” she added.

In addition, Liew said the team at Tabin Wildlife Reserve provided round-the-clock intensive support and successfully brought her back to good health and egg cell production on several occasions.

On Wednesday, the 25-year-old Iman was reported as deteriorating from non-malignant tumours.

The tumour has been with her since her capture and had spread to her urinary bladder.

The Thula Thula Land Expansion Project For Elephant Habitat

Lawrence-Anthony-Lawrence-002 — The Late Lawrence Anthony With Two Of The Original ‘Rogue’ Elephants

Elephants had never been part of Lawrence Anthony’s plan for Thula Thula, but in 1999 he was telephoned by a conservation organisation which asked whether he would be willing to take on a herd of nine animals which had escaped from every enclosure they had ever been in, wreaking havoc across KwaZulu-Natal, and were considered highly dangerous. Realising that the Elephants would be shot if he declined, Anthony agreed to give them a home.

But he was the herd’s last chance of survival – notorious escape artists, they would all be killed if Lawrence wouldn’t take them. He agreed, but before arrangements for the move could be completed the animals broke out again and the matriarch and her baby were shot. The remaining Elephants were traumatised and very angry. As soon as they arrived at Thula Thula they started planning their escape.

“They were a difficult bunch, no question about it,” he recalled. “Delinquents every one. But I could see a lot of good in them too. They’d had a tough time and were all scared, and yet they were looking after one another, trying to protect one another.”

Lawrence decided to treat the Elephants as errant children, working to persuade them, through words and gestures, that they should not behave badly and that they could trust him. He concentrated his attention on Nana, the matriarch of the herd: “I’d go down to the fence and I’d plead with Nana not to break it down,” he said. “I knew she didn’t understand English, but I hoped she’d understand by the tone of my voice and my body language what I was saying. And one morning, instead of trying to break the fence down, she just stood there. Then she put her trunk through the fence towards me. I knew she wanted to touch me. That was a turning point.” Soon they were allowed out into the reserve.

la-elephant_whisperer — The Elephant Whisper

After his death, Lawrence’s beloved Elephants came to his house to say goodbye.

When Lawrence died at the age of 61 in 2012, two herds of wild South African Elephants slowly made their way through the Zululand bush until they reached the house of late author, the conservationist who saved their lives. The formerly violent, rogue Elephants, destined to be shot a few years ago as pests, were rescued and rehabilitated by Anthony, who had grown up in the bush and was known as the “Elephant Whisperer.” For two days the herds loitered at Lawrence’s rural compound on the vast Thula Thula game reserve in the South African KwaZulu — to say good-bye to the man they loved. But how did they know he had died? Known for his unique ability to calm traumatized Elephants Lawrence had become a legend. He is the author of three books, Babylon Ark, detailing his efforts to rescue the animals at Baghdad Zoo during the Iraqi war, the forthcoming The Last Rhinos, and his bestselling The Elephant Whisperer. There are two Elephant herds at Thula Thula. According to his son Dylan, both arrived at the Anthony family compound shortly after Anthony’s death. “They had not visited the house for a year and a half and it must have taken them about 12 hours to make the journey,” Dylan is quoted in various local news accounts. “The first herd arrived on Sunday and the second herd, a day later. They all hung around for about two days before making their way back into the bush. “Elephants have long been known to mourn their dead. In India, baby Elephants often are raised with a boy who will be their lifelong “mahout.” The pair develop legendary bonds and it is not uncommon for one to waste away without a will to live after the death of the other.

x29vo-elephants-vigil-1 — Elephant’s March To Pay Their Respects To The Man Who Saved Them

What Is The Thula Thula Land Expansion Project For Elephant Habitat?

The original herd of 7 Elephants that Lawrence Anthony rescued in 1999 has now increased to 30 Elephants meaning the maximum sustainable capacity of Thula Thula has been reached!

THULA THULA 3 — The Elephants Of Thula Thula

How Can The Long-Term Future Of The Elephant Whispered Herd Be Secured?

For my part, I am doing a 10,000 feet skydive to help raise funds for this project.

By donating to this cause you are helping to secure the future for the Thula Thula Elephants and local communities.

To help secure the long-term future of the Thula Thula Elephants please DONATE at https://t.co/bdiEDD7ljr

For more information on Thula Thula’s Wildlife and Nature Conservation Projects please visit http://thulathula.com/conservation-fund-2/

Thank you for your support, Paul.

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