Voices for Zim Wildlife Statement on the Exported Zimbabwe Baby Elephants

It is sad news to hear of the eventual export of the baby elephants to China, especially after all that we did to secure their liberty, the petitions we signed, the marches, the massive demonstrations (I remember one such hosted by Nikki and Team at the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town December 2014).

Its been 10 months since the baby elephants were kidnapped from their mothers and the cries for their freedom had almost faded from the platforms. After such a period of time, one can be forgiven for forgeting there was such a fight pending or for the naivety of thinking the Zimbabwe government had gotten the message and were reconsidering selling the baby animals but for some of us who knew how the Zimbabwe govt works, it was just a matter of time as it was a done deal the moment those baby elephants were captured, also especially after we blew an opportunity to engage with the Tourism Minister Hon. Mzembi and present our opinions and options to help them deal with the over population and the accompanying conflicts with humans.

It was a golden opportunity for us to make a difference for our wildlife but much more sadening than the export of the baby elephants is the fact that we the supposed to be animal advocates opted to be political and withold our solutions, hoping by so doing we were adding our portion of sanctions upon the Zimbabwe government when we were actually defeating our own cause. Who knows, had we welcomed their extended hand maybe they would have listened and relented which would have been a great victory for us. Now our hearts are broken and there is no guarantee its not going to happen again even soon as there is no power that has proven itself strong enough to stop them and as long as the people of Zimbabwe are still indifferent to the plight of Zimbabwe wildlife, nothing is going to change. That is why we are choosing to be different as far as Zimbabwe is concerned.

We believe that a strategy based on reverence, compassion and inclusion will go farther to ensure a "true " conservation ethic, one that will bring human and animal communities together, ensuring the survival and enrichment of both. In the hope of furthering this end, we are designing programs that are clever, tactical and engaging in an effort to draw attention to the plight of wildlife in Zimbabwe; potentially attracting a great number of Zimbabwe's good citizens in the mighty struggle to cherish and protect both Zimbabwe's and Africa's wild heritage.

We shall be unfolding these programs over time, raising public awareness and calling for peaceful and creative advocacy, promoting the idea that "WE" the people of Zimbabwe are the guardians of her wild beings, their protectors and their friends. Calling for responsible stewardship of the land that looks to compassion for guidance and not to greed nor dominance.

For this cause we are committed!

We will not be stopped!

We will not be silenced and we will be victorious!

TOGETHER UNITED WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS!