Il significato dell’espressione “conservare la biodiversità” non è subito immediato per tutti, io confesso di averci impiegato qualche minuto a rispondere la prima volte che mi è stata posta questa domanda e scommetto di essere stata anche molto banale. La sfida ora è spiegarne l’importanza alle comunità locali.
Standing in the exact same position I was in when I released Bonnie and Thembile, I waited as Thandora tentatively approached the invisible line that separated her holding-boma space from 10 000 hectares of reserve. The gate was open and all she had to do was walk out, but the moment was to big for her and she was clearly not happy about taking this next step.
Thandora does not feel so welcome
Almost every translocation I have been involved in we arrive at our destination after midnight, and this one proved to be no different. The reserve staff were excited to be a part of the process and this meant that the numbers of the team had grown. More people, more ego’s, more chiefs.
I sat back knowing that in a few hours the adrenaline wears off and all will return back to normal. I made a suggestion that we set up a night-watch, but the suggestion was turned down, people were exhausted.
After six years of working intimately with captive elephants, interacting with some of the world’s top vets, meeting leading elephant researchers and being invited to write the code of conduct for captive wild elephants in South Africa, I thought I had a grasp on the subject.
Thandora however taught me otherwise.
For six years I had been waking up before the sun rose and my day began working with elephants. These were captive elephants, elephants that each had their own story, but no voice to tell this story to the world.
I had however been hearing their story being told by others for fifteen years.
Sadly in the year I was introduced to Thandora I had chosen to step away from working in this industry.
