Some of wildlife rescue outfits mainly or also serve to support someone’s lifestyle. I know this discussion only too well from the seabird rehabilitation world in Florida. Your donations may look like they go toward a noble purpose but in reality may help finance someone’s private swimming pool.

I’m thinking Ralph in Clearwater, but I am also thinking about whether you turn your facility into a tourist attraction or focus on only helping the animals you rescue.

We also need to start taking into account what we are doing to the planet as a whole and all the species on it when we blindly purchase items that we think we need within the context of wildlife rehab – but don’t.

I’m asking HERD some questions. On 13 September 2023, I received an e-mail from a different organization (which I hopefully haven’t financially supported in the past, mistakenly thinking that they were into animal rescue themselves because I prefer direct support).

I considered the e-mail unethical. It presented baby elephant Khanyisa as just having been rescued and urgently needing milk. In reality, Khanyisa was rescued in January 2020 and is already running with the herd. I wrote back about this, was told that they had checked with HERD and were informed that Khanyisa still needed milk. (They didn’t know that but had to contact HERD to ask?!)

That is true. Khanyisa still needs milk. But she wasn’t rescued in September this year and the photos in the e-mail were from when she was still small.

I also forwarded the e-mail to HERD, which did not respond.

They’ve just been asking for equipment that they don’t actually really seem to need. It’s no big deal, but it is starting to make me question the reasoning behind HERD.

The huge difference between HERD and the Sheldrick orphanage is pushing itself to the forefront of my awareness now too. Sheldrick rescues and raises babies and then releases them. HERD, by contrast, certainly has its expenses, such as vet and feed costs, but HERD doesn’t rehabilitate animals. It rescues and keeps them, doesn’t it? We get to see Adine walk around all day with the herd. Lovely. Still a very good purpose, all in all. I’ve done it too

In March, one of the elephants wandered off and did not return for the night. They located Mambo three days later, from a helicopter, then sedated and returned him.

Now, in October, Tokwe was late one evening when she chased after wild elephants. When Adine and a group of carers went looking for her, Nadine spotted Tokwe who then thundered past them, and went straight to the homestead. In the video, you can hear one of the carers say that he thinks that that is where she is going.

Yet the group continued to search for Tokwe. Why? Nadine then said that their walkietalkies weren’t functioning properly (short reach) so they just called out to each other instead. That seems to indicate that the walkietalkies weren’t needed in that situation. She also concluded that they needed search lights. Why? Nadine spotted Tokwe with her own unaided eyes, from the car.

Now she is asking for donations for walkietalkies and search lights. After Mambo’s disappearance, that might have made some sense, but not this time.

What am I missing? Are they just perpetually short of funds and making up excuses to ask for more donations? I’d understand that, but it is not the right approach.

It requires a LOT of money to rehab and keep animals because without that, you cannot protect the animals against ill-willing wealthy (wealthier) people.

I’m so raw myself that my bullshit detector has become very well-tuned. I no longer count on people being and doing good. I expect the worst now. So I ask questions. I also try to show people that they rarely need the things that they think they need.