When an Elephant Smiles

June 5 is World Environment Day. Today we want to tell you a story about the Wild is Life wildlife sanctuary in Zimbabwe. Roxy Danckwerts, her family and the team nurse, injured and orphaned animals. Among them are baby elephants. Poachers killed their mothers for their tusks. As a result, infants didn’t have a chance to survive in the wild. Рeople take care of them 24/7 here in the shelter. They’re bottle-fed like human children and covered with blankets at night.

‘When I work with these little elephants, I’m happy. Why? I suppose because they seem like my children. They are the same like humans. Sure, it’s an animal, an elephant, but it seems like it,’ says January Gweshe, the animal handler.

As a result, the elephants can be released into the wild when they grow up. Watch our documentary When an Elephant Smiles to find out how hard it is for people to separate from animals.