Wild is Life Trust and ZEN

Wild is Life Trust and ZEN

Annabelle’s Story

Annabelle has been in our care since 2015 when she arrived at Wild is Life as a young traumatized elephant with most of her trunk and all of her tail missing. These had healed by the time we met her, however this left her partially disabled, with some mental issues and trauma. Over time and with tireless care and love she slowly regained her trust in some humans and healed, physically and mentally.

In 2018 she was translocated to the ZEN Panda Masuie Forest in Victoria Falls along with five other elephants to begin the rewinding process enabling full release back to the wild. She has grown in leaps and strides both physically and mentally since. Annabelle is known for being the “madam” of the herd and has a strong character. She is suspicious of strangers, including photographers, and often the first one to detect animals in the bush. Annabelle is a true symbol of hope for us at Wild is Life. She has overcome incredible adversity and pain. She is courageous and can be fierce and protects her herd first and foremost. Although not the oldest female in the herd, she plays a pivotal role in keeping the herd together and guiding them on their daily missions to the bush. We are confident about her prospects of returning to life in the wild, in spite of her partial disabilities. Physically she has managed to maintain the condition the same as the others. She uses her foot to lift things into her mouth from the ground when needed.However, our observations so far, when meeting the wild elephants in the wild she is often the first to interact but also the first to retreat. She likes the comfort and security of the bomas in the night as well as the interactions and excitement of meeting wild elephants. Our approach to the rewilding and release of the elephants is slow and careful, allowing the elephants to make the ultimate decisions; when to leave and join wild elephants, or to stay in their routine, returning to the safety of the bomas each night. To date, five orphan elephants have returned to the wild, namely Mfana, Sizi, Tulku, Lizzie and Pookie. 🥰🐘🇿🇼