Wild is Life was born with love in 1998 when founder Roxy Danckwerts saw the need for a sanctuary where abandoned, injured and orphaned animals could be given a second chance at life.
From humble beginnings of a few rescued wild animals in the backyard such as kudu, duiker and mongoose, we have grown and evolved into an organisation that rescues, rehabilitates and rewilds elephants, antelope, owls, genets and many more African animals.
Our Evolution
In 2012, after persistent efforts garnering the necessary authorization and approvals, Wild is Life introduced a dedicated branch called the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN).
Here Roxy and a team of dedicated professionals, conservationists, veterinarians and carers began the heart-wrenching yet rewarding work of rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned and injured elephants.
Equipped with all the necessary infrastructure, the Nursery is the only facility of its kind in Zimbabwe.
In under a decade, we have rescued 50 elephants from across Zimbabwe, of which over 30 are being successfully rehabilitated through our Nursery.
National Expansion
Roxy’s mission has always been not only to successfully rescue and rehabilitate animals but to offer them a second chance at life – where they belong, in the wild.
This dream came to life in 2015 when Wild is Life partnered with the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe to establish our rewilding facility in Panda Masuie Forest Area near Victoria Falls.
This area, almost 1000kms cross country from ZEN and was identified because of its strategic positioning in the KAZA region and we have since established a 25-year lease with Forestry Commission to ensure that the area is fully protected.
This wild and wonderful space ensures that rehabilitated elephants have a safe natural space to call home once they leave the Nursery.
Panda Masuie has evolved into so much more and is now a fully operational habitat conservation project with a dedicated conservation and anti-poaching arm.
With grateful thanks to our Partners
We couldn’t do this without you! Our partners include the organisations below as well as:
- James Costa – Director, Wild is Life Trust
- Greg Mertz – Trustee, Wild is Life USA
- Bruce Roberts – Trustee, Wild is Life USA
- Harry Sutherland – Director, Wild is Life Foundation
- Harris Harjun – Director, Wild is Life Foundation
The Future
We are committed to creating a sustainable positive impact on people, places and animals, not just for the foreseeable future but for many years to come.
We are in the process of building a state-of-the-art hospital and surgical theatre for the treatment and care of the animals in our care at ZEN.
We are also expanding the protected zones to create a safe corridor for rehabilitated and wild elephants in the KAZA area.
Plus, in all areas of our work we strive for better practices, collaborations and research.
We believe that the legacy of Wild is Life allows future generations to connect, embrace and protect the natural world in Zimbabwe and that inspires conservation the world over.
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