March 27, 2019
Walking amongst the GREAT...
“Remember, the moon is reflected in one drop of water as it is the entire ocean - so it is with God. He is reflected in each living thing - in a grain of sand as the entire shore, one star as the whole universe. Each animal as in all creatures.”
Ralph Helfer, Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived.
I was only a little girl when my dad gifted me with one of the GREATEST stories ever told, a book called Modoc - The true story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived. I was instantly in love with these majestic beings and the story has lived in my heart ever since.
We have been working on our #WildLoveSeries for months - yes it’s gonna beWILD, but more importantly it is gonna be wildly filled with LOVE for our Wild Life!!
And BEST of all... its all for an AMAZING CAUSE!!
I am filled with awe and inspiration at one family’s mission to save Africa’s Elephants by giving them a home. Adventures With Elephants is a unique animal reserve in South Africa that educates visitors through a hands-on elephant adventure. Adventures with Elephants contributes to wildlife conservation by spreading knowledge of the African elephant to men, women and children of all walks of life and professions. Their research aims to teach you about their intelligence, their bodies, their behaviour and to further inspire and spread knowledge about the value of these extraordinary gentle giants that we get to share a planet with.
“Adventures with Elephants is a place of inspiration and joy. Our beautiful reserve in South Africa is home to many types of wildlife from zebra; giraffe and warthogs; to meerkats. Our biggest privilege is caring for our beautiful African elephants who were destined to be culled.”
I have always been so immensely intrigued and inspired by these magnificent creations, by their old souls and the beautiful sense of love and community that is the core of their family structure.
For our Second Season Romantic Collective Wild Love Range we got to WALK AMONGST THE GREAT!!
Being so close to them, the tears literally streamed down my face, my heart was overjoyed and I felt humbled by them allowing me to be in their presence. To me their skin was a map of Africa and I could feel that they had knowledge beyond human understanding and a mystical connection to the Earth.
Every single cell in my body knew instantly that life had given me an opportunity not only to experience, but also to learn.
“There is mystery behind that masked grey visage, and ancient life force, delicate and mighty, awesome and enchanted. Commanding the silence ordinarily reserved for mountain peaks, great fires, and the sea.” ~ Peter Matthiessen, National Geographic.
Learning from the GREAT to become great at LIFE...
...and the things that truly matter.
Here is what I learnt,
Community:
When it comes to African elephants, a new mom is not alone in guiding her young. Elephants live in a matriarchal society, so other females in the social group help a calf to its feet after birth and show the baby how to nurse. The older elephants adjust the pace of the herd so the calf can keep up. When a new elephant is rescued or found alone, beautiful ‘chosen’ families are created even if the herd is made up of multiple families, they will support each other and love each other as family. This elephant will be taken in and cared for and thesefamilies will roam together, bathe together, eat together, look out for each other and when one passes away, mourn for each other.
Empathy
Elephants are not afraid to FEEL and to express their emotions. They love deeply. They cry when a family member dies and they mourn their death. Elephants have a deep sense of empathy, when an individual in a herd is in discomfort they make noises in communication with the hurt individual and by gently using their trunks, they comfort the distressed individual with a caress.
Compassion
Elephants are kind and accepting of others and have been known to help other animals in distress or trouble as well as those of their own kind even if they do not belong to the same herd.
Elephants are fiercely loyal, and think that everyone is important enough to be remembered.
JOY & LOVE
When they are happy, they show you by flapping their ears. They don’t hide their joy, they proclaim it. And most importantly they SHOW their love by constantly affectionately touching and reassuring each other with their trunks.
All Feminine Boss Mamma ...
The leader of the herd is the oldest member of the family, and she is a true powerhouse!!
She is fierce yet gentle, she is a true force of nature yet so graceful. She has a strong unbreakable spirit. She is a protector of her family and leads with conviction and compassion.
She is all WOMAN!! - And the definition of what I aspire to be.
Elephants have an old soul, a true understanding of the meaning of love, the essence of life ... and great wisdom of what truly matters in life to pass onto generations to come!! That is why it is of the utmost importance for us to take care of them, to show them the kindness and love that they as a species represent. When you come to visit Adventures with Elephants and experience their true nature, when you walk with these majestic beings and experience first hand the love and dedication with which they are cared for - you will leave humbled and moved, and a lifetime ambassador of holistic wildlife conservation.
We hope you fall in love with our Wild Love series as much as we are and that you will also make wildly beautiful memories in our Second Season WILD LOVE Range!!
Our Wild Love Tee’s are our FAVOURITES of the season as they are all about LOVING on our WILD LIFE!! Not only are they super cool and trendy whether you dress them up or down - but you will literally be wearing your HEART - as part of the proceeds of every WILD LOVE Tee that gets sold will be going towards the conservation of Wild Life - The Adventures With Elephants & The Rory Hensman Elephant Conservation & Research Unit.
All my (Wild) LOVE,
Donnalee & The Romantic Collective Team
You can read more about what the Rory Hensman Conservation and Research Unit - RHCRU does, and how you can donate or become involved here:
https://www.rhcru.com
The seven elephants at Adventures for Elephants have become ambassadors for the species. Every day when people meet them, they are left with a sense of wonder and awe. You too can experience the uniqueness of the herd made up of Chova, Chisuru, Messina, Shan, Nuanedi and calves Bela and Zambezi at Adventures with Elephants, by booking an educational interaction, and perhaps a safari. Read more here: www.adventureswithelephants.co.za
