We
URGENTLY need to bore
waterholes to SAVE THOUSANDS of LIVES!
Please, help us by donating
today. | |
|
Dear
Vladimir,
A crippling drought is
devastating the wildlife of the Addo Elephant
National Park in South Africa. To help the animals
survive, we have been installing waterhole
pumps across Addo's vast terrain (633 square
miles or 1,640 square kilometers) to provide
water, helping to ensure the survival of many
species. | |
Vladimir,
in 2021, your donations helped us install six
state-of-the-art solar-powered water pumps to
keep Addo's main camp waterholes full (with great
success!). | |
|
Addo
is situated in South Africa's Eastern Cape
province, which because of climate change is
battling its worst drought in 100
years. Addo reached out to us asking
for help to provide water for elephants.
Obviously, it is vitally important to ensure
sufficient water flows once more for these parched
elephants and other wildlife.
We
acted immediately, rushing a team to the region.
The good news is that our investigation showed
an immense water reservoir lying deep beneath the
surface. | |
“We discovered that if
we can drill down 115 feet (35 meters), we can
provide 1,320 gallons (5,000 liters) of water an
hour - an enormous boon for the animals that could
be the difference between life and
death,” says campaign director, Luke
Barritt. | |
Until recently,
diesel-powered water pumps would have been used,
but in these days of climate change, we must
provide a cleaner solution - solar-powered water
pumps, because they are non-polluting.
These pumps are also quieter, an important
factor because wild animals get easily stressed by
noise.
Vladimir, if we can raise $8,000
(£6,500), we can give Addo's Darlington
elephants and other wildlife enough water for them
to be able to drink and bathe to
their heart's content. Please, will you help us dig deep
for water and install two new solar-powered
pumps for waterholes?
| |
| The speed at which
global temperatures are rising is terrifying, and
water is becoming increasingly scarce as droughts
become more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting.
We work with this issue every day, and every day,
we become more alarmed by how serious water
shortages are for animal survival. Prolonged dry
spells pose life-threatening consequences to
African elephants, the largest land mammals on the
planet, who can drink up to 200 liters (around 50
gallons) of water daily. Water is also crucial for
them to stay calm and do what elephants love to do
- wallow in mud. | |
|
Vladimir,
the water shortage in Addo is especially
poignant to us. In 2018, our supporters
financed the successful relocation of a 28-strong
elephant family to Darlington to ease pressure
on the park's central region. Before the
relocation, no elephants had lived in Darlington
for over 150 years, after being hunted to
extinction.
We named the family
the “Davies herd” after our founders, Brian and
Gloria Davies, who are passionate about these
magnificent creatures. Now, the elephants
are desperately searching for their most critical
life source, only to find empty waterholes and
bone-dry riverbeds.
African savanna
elephant populations have dwindled by at least 60%
over the last 50 years. They are now listed as
endangered by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of
Threatened Species. The biggest threats faced by
these giants are habitat loss, human-wildlife
conflict and wildlife crime - primarily, poaching
for the illegal ivory trade. Despite anti-poaching
efforts, the animals remain at greater risk of
extinction than ever
before… | |
There
are only about 415,000 elephants left across the
continent of Africa. Just under 100 years ago,
there were more than 10
million. | |
|
Saving
animals and the planet,
Campaigner | |
|
P.S.
Vladimir, in warm weather, elephants can lose
up to 10% of the water in their bodies in a single
day. That's the equivalent of nearly two
full bathtubs. Digging holes to uncover any
drop of water they can find has become the norm
for Addo's Darlington elephants. This is nowhere
near enough to quench their thirst, particularly
during this drought. Climate change is making
drought more serious every year. We have to find
solutions or lose Africa’s wildlife. Your donation will mean water for
elephants, the most precious gift of all, life
itself. | |
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Image credits:
Banner: TravelSnippet | | |
