A word that has become popular in Africa in recent years is '‘ubuntu.’ In essence, it means ‘I am because we are.’ It is the concept we call ‘interdependence’ in Buddhism. None of us lives in isolation. Each of us depends on a community, a culture, a group of which we are a part. And that community, culture or group is, in turn, affected by our own behaviour.
This Thanksgiving, I want to give you my heartfelt thanks for being part of this very special Substack community, The Dalai Lama’s Cat & Other Intrigues.
Our job is to share insights and practices to help all beings find greater fulfilment and inner peace. And to support those who need our support. These include the orphaned elephants who are cared for with such unconditional love and compassion by Roxy Danckwerts and her team at Wild is Life, home of the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery.
In the video above, we meet little Beatrix, the elephant calf I’ve mentioned in previous posts. The video was shot outside, so the sound quality isn’t great. In it, Roxy explains how:
Beatrix came to them as an orphan, having to deal with the trauma of losing her mother.
She seemed to be adjusting to her new life when one day she fell and broke her leg.
It is difficult to treat large animals like this for a leg break. Typically, when this happens they are euthanized. But Roxy ruled out that option.
With the support of the local vet, and a willing human orthopedic surgeon, Beatrix was successfully operated on and an external fixator was attached. A previous donation from our group helped pay for this treatment.
She subsequently made a full recovery - as you can see!
This episode highlighted the need for Wild is Life to have a sterile operating theatre, properly equipped, because all elephant orphans require treatment at some time.
I pledged that I and we Substackers would do what we can to support the creation of this theatre.
This Thanksgiving, I contacted Roxy to tell her we have donated US$3,000 towards equipping the new theatre. This donation is only possible because of the money I receive from my Substack subscribers. Roxy asked me to pass on her very deep thanks to each and every one of you in our little Substack community. She is truly grateful.
There are no more words I can say except, once again, to repeat my heartfelt thanks to each one of you who supports us, whether as a paid subscriber, whose gift is so appreciated, or a free subscriber who helps spread the word. We are helping orphaned elephants in a very practical way - and, as always, there is so much more that we can do.
If you wish to support Roxy’s work directly, you can do so by clicking here.
Please consider leaving a bequest to ‘Wild is Life Foundation.’ This can be a tremendously impactful - and painless! - way to offer significant financial help to a most valuable cause in the long term.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving and the festive season, please also consider gifting a subscription to The Dalai Lama’s Cat & Other Intrigues. A weekly dose of insight and hope may be just the thing for that person who has everything!
Wild is Life is one of the four charities supported by The Dalai Lama’s Cat & Other Intrigues. The others are: Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary (supporting animal rescue in Zimbabwe), Dongyu Gyatsal Ling Initiatives (supporting Buddhist nuns in the Himalayas), and Gaden Relief (supporting Buddhist activities in India, Nepal, Mongolia and Tibet).
How you are helping elephant orphans