From Lynn. The little one is improving but she has a way to go for full recovery. She recently had some surgery to treat an infected umbilical which seems to be healing
Baby Mwayi Update ♥️🐘 There are gentle signs of hope for little Mwayi. Her milk intake has increased, and she’s showing more energy. While we remain cautious given her fragile condition, these small steps forward feel incredibly meaningful. Each feed, each spark of strength, is something we hold onto tightly. One of the most beautiful things to witness is the bond she has formed with her caregivers. They are by her side 24/7, watching over her, comforting her, responding to her every need. In the quiet hours of the night and the long days of careful monitoring, love surrounds her constantly. They lovingly call her “our daughter” and it’s easy to see why. She reaches for them for reassurance, and they are always there. Mwayi needs all the love, care, and attention she can get to give her the fighting chance she deserves. Thanks to your incredible support, we are able to stand beside the team on the ground and ensure she receives everything she needs.
In mid January a baby elephant was swept into a river which was swollen from the recent rains. It was quickly washed away from its mother who could not get to it. Fortunately a group of the local villagers were able to pull it from the river but it was exhausted and in bad shape. They immediately contacted Wildlife Action Group who came quickly to take care of the baby. Baby ellies are very hard to raise and Lynn knew they had very limited time to bring it back to health. The first thought was to get it back to the mother as soon as possible but locating the correct herd and mother was not successful. Lynn went into action and immediately contacted several people who had the specific knowledge on what needed to be done. The baby is currently still in poor condition and recovery is far from guaranteed. Following is Lynn’s recent update to us.
HI Dick Sorry this is a generic update for you as we have so many people wanting to know At present, the calf remains in a fragile and critical early-stage condition. She is experiencing ongoing difficulty with feeding and has been suffering from episodes of diarrhoea, which have made stabilization challenging. Her condition fluctuates on a daily basis, with periods of improvement followed by setbacks, which is not uncommon in neonate orphan elephants of her estimated age and size. The previously identified umbilical infection is currently being actively managed and appears to be under control at this time, though continued monitoring remains essential. The calf is notably small and weak and very young, which further complicates her recovery and requires intensive, adaptive care. To ensure the highest possible standards of welfare and technical guidance, we have secured 24-hour access to expert support from expert and experienced wildlife rescue and elephant rehabilitation specialist Ms. Liz O’Brien, , who is providing continuous remote oversight and guidance. In addition, Game Rangers International(GRI) is available as backup support, including expert input from Dr Amanda Le Salb, should further intervention or consultation be required. On the ground, Baby Ellie is receiving round-the-clock care from a dedicated team of eight Malawian staff members, operating on a 24-hour rotation. These staff members are undergoing continuous hands-on training and mentorship and have demonstrated exceptional commitment, empathy, and responsiveness to the calf’s needs under difficult and emotionally demanding conditions. It is important to note that Baby Ellie remains in the very early days of care, and despite all reasonable and appropriate interventions being applied, her prognosis remains guarded. As with all neonatal orphan wildlife cases, particularly elephants, outcomes can be unpredictable, and changes—both positive and negative—can occur rapidly.
All actions taken to date have been guided by animal welfare priorities, professional advice, and the best available knowledge under the circumstances Lynn
Following are photos of Baby Mwayi, which means ‘Luck” and she certainly needs it. Stay tuned for updates on her condition. If you have not done so scroll down to see our post about our newest fence project.
Elefence is sending Wildlife Action Group (WAG) $24,000 for fence construction thanks to a generous donor. The fence will extend the partially erected fence around the Dedza-Salima forest reserve. The fence around the Thuma reserve is complete now due to a previous Elefence contribution.
Constructing a fence is not an easy thing. First it must be approved by the Malawi government departments of forestry and wildlife. The fence line must then be surveyed to determine the exact route. Sometimes the route crosses village boundaries and must then be adjusted to insure that villages are cut off from areas they have used for generations even though they may have no clear title to the property. Negotiations with the village chiefs which border the route are critical to insure their cooperation. After all of these steps construction can begin once the rainy season ends.
WAG had secured funding for purchasing the fence materials but had no money for labor, survey services and the hiring of a qualified construction manager. The local villagers are hired as workers and their wages are a significant source of income in an an area where there is almost no work available. Funds were also required for purchasing food for the workers and paid village women to prepare and serve food to the workers. The fence is solar powered but must be patrolled regularly and maintained. The WAG rangers have other duties so again the villagers are hired for this.
A fence protects both the villages from marauding wildlife as well as defining the border of the forest reserves. A couple of elephants can destroy a farmers entire harvest in one night which often calls for the killing of the elephants. Elephants and cape buffalos are dangerous when the locals attempt to drive them away. In the last three years 5 persons have been killed by elephants in the area of the reserves.
A fence also provides a clear boundary of the reserves. Persons inside the fence without a permit to gather dead wood for cooking and heating or cutting bamboo for construction are usually doing something illegal such as poaching wildlife or cutting trees for making charcoal.
Following are photos from a previous fence construction project.
Clearing the fence line
WAG rangers working on the fence
Villagers preparing for the installation of a new fence
Nic is an Elefence trustee and a premier safari guide in Africa. This is just one of his stories.
To Dick Houston
I have included one of my personal favourite photographs (And experiences) from the season. This female leopard, on the left, had just killed an impala, and instead of feeding, she hid the prey, then immediately went off in search of her two year old son who she had not seen in days. As soon as she was in the vicinity where she last saw him she began to call. At first her calls were soft, so as to not attract unwanted attention, the intervals long. She stopped, listened for an answer and then continued to weave in and out of the thick terrain. The tension was palpable, she had to find him, instinct drove her. As time slipped away her calls became more desperate, more frequent, louder and then she froze! Her ears picked up, her face changed, we knew she had heard a response even though we didn’t hear a thing. She sat down and then out of the thickets a young beautiful male leopard bounded out to greet his mom. Affectionately rubbing his head against hers, jumping all over her, rolling on the ground and then repeating the sequence over and over again. She then expertly climbed a tree and her son soon followed, lying next to her he licked her face, excitedly anticipating her next move. It wasn’t long before she led him back to the unfortunate impala who was to provide life to the next generation of big cats.
Nic, operates a safari company which has been recognized as one of the best in Africa.
Read more about Nic by scrolling down to our previous posts Introducing Nic Polenakis and What Makes a great bush Guide. We are fortunate to have Nic as one of our trustees. You can see more of his operation on his website myprivateafrica.com.
Stay turned for a major announcement coming soon about our next project.
Malawi was formally called Nyasaland and became independent from British rule in 1964.
Malawi is a unitary presidential republic with three branches of government consisting of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The president is both the Head of State and the Head of Government. So on a national level it operates very much as most constitutional democracies do. Out in the rural areas which covers most of the country things are a bit different.
The local villages are still very much tribal in nature with a village being controlled by a chief. A chief has significant power over how a village is operated as well as how it interacts with those outside. A chief receives the title from a lineage which passes down through the mother. Interestingly a woman can be a chief if no male heir exists.
In 2022 Dick and I were privileged to attend a council of chiefs organized by Lynn Clifford the Field Operations Manager of the Wildlife Action Group (WAG). The meeting was called to discuss problems which existed in the villages and how they affected the two forest reserves. While we could not understand most of what was said each chief had the opportunity to speak about their situation. It was truly an opportunity to see how things work on a local level.
In late 2025 there was a coordinated attack on the forest reserves resulting in the slaughter of wildlife, the cutting of trees and destruction of part of the fence. It was most likely organized by criminal gangs supported by some of the local population. The WAG rangers are not equipped to handle a large-scale assault like this and the local police were called in to put down the incursion and restore order.
In order to prevent this again Lynn called a chiefs meeting from the affected areas. Most of the local population supports the WAG efforts to protect the forests and appreciates the help that WAG provides with agricultural advice, livestock support, water wells and education of students. At the meeting individual chiefs were asked to sign a pledge to support WAG’s efforts and assist with the reporting of criminal activity and participating in conservation efforts.
The pledges were physically signed by individual chiefs and were not some empty promises. A signed pledge by a chief had strong cultural significance and violation of the oath was regarded as shameful and rarely breached. The hope is that these pledges will prevent any occurrence of intrusion into the reserves.
One of WAG’s missions in managing the forest reserves is bringing back populations of animals which have been lost. Basically they were hunted out of existence. For the most part they were not killed by local villagers to feed their families but rather majority of wildlife loss was due to organized gangs killing animals to supply the bushmeat trade.
Bushmeat is a term used to describe wildlife hunted for human consumption. Managed properly it can be a sustainable resource to provide protein for poor communities. Unfortunately it has grown into a criminal enterprise which endangers humans as well as wildlife. As of 2016 more than 300 species in Africa, Asia and Latin America are endangered due to unregulated hunting. By and large the bushmeat harvested does not go to poor communities but rather wealthier populations who can afford to pay a premium for what is a traditional food. Bushmeat also endangers humans by spreading pathogens and parasites. Diseases like Ebola and HIV both developed in animals and jumped to humans.
In 2022 WAG distributed waterbuck, impala, and sable antelope back into Thuma and Dedza-Salima Forest Reserves. Since then they have been documented as having established a breeding population. More recently zebra were brought in and seem to have adapted well. Returning native wildlife to the forest is critical in maintaining the biodiversity necessary for the health of the ecosystem. At some point it may be necessary to introduce predators to control the populations naturally but that is a much more complicated issue.
Waterbuck, impala and sable antelope being released in Thuma Forest Reserve.
Zebras recently returned to Thuma. Interesting fact: Researchers have learned that the zebras stripped pattern confuses insects vision resulting in half the number of insects landing on their body as compared to other animals. Aint nature amazing!
As reported earlier we recently sent funds for the student scholarships. In addition we included $510 for the ranger Christmas bonuses and $3000 to purchase fertilizer for the local communities. The rangers have a dangerous and physically demanding job for a meager $3/day. While $10 seems like a pittance to us it hopefully makeS their Christmas holidays a little better. WAG did not have money this year for fertilizer for the villages around the forest reserves so Elefence stepped up for this critical need. The planting season starts in December when the rains come. Without fertilizer the yields from the gardens will be much lower. The gardens represent a majority of the nutritional needs for families who already struggle to meet daily requirements.
Lynn with the WAG rangers after last years bonuses.
Message from Lynn Clifford, WAG Field Operations Manager
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We want to extend our warmest thanks to each of you for your incredible generosity and continued support for our secondary school students. Because of you, all school fees for this year have been paid, and every student has received school uniforms and learning materials — giving them the confidence and tools they need to succeed.
This year, we are proudly sponsoring nine students across two districts — five girls and four boys. Among them, three will be sitting for their final secondary school exams, and three have just begun their first year of secondary school.
Since 2022, a total of 21 students have benefited from your support. Out of these, 10 have successfully graduated, one unfortunately failed, two left school due to pregnancy, and one transferred to another donor who could offer additional support. We are also proud to share that our students over the years so far have have achieved a 100% pass rate in the GCSE exams and a 67% pass rate in the final national exams — results that speak volumes about their determination and the opportunities your kindness has made possible.
The fact that these children are in school — all for them form extremely poor families, many of them the first in their families to reach secondary education — is entirely because of you. You have given each of them at least four more years of education, hope, and a chance at a brighter future.
From all of us at the Wildlife Action Group and the communities around Thuma, thank you for believing in these young people and walking this journey with us. Your support is truly changing lives.
From the journal of our president, Dick Houston, adventurer extraordinaire.
Safari Journal entries penned daily while on trans-Africa overland expeditions – my scribblings continued at night by the flickering light of a smoky kerosene lantern, continually dive-bombed by kamikaze moths beating against the glass.
CARRY ON WILD ROVER
A rather sluggish day, driving a land Rover through the seemingly endless Congo jungle. Aiming for ENGLAND! The overloaded Land Rover, christened WILD ROVER, was sliding all over the narrow muddy track under the dark-green jungle tunnel.
Grinding along in a growling first gear,Wild Rover gamely carried on. The black greasy mud was trying desperately to suck us under to bury us. My British safari partner, Gordon, and I thought at one point we were going to tip over the vehicle.
There were two foot deep ditches down the middle. A sudden tropical downpour was obliterating most of the track. Then the rain stopped as fast as it started, as though turning off a spigot.
Trying to steer around the deeper ruts, we veered too late into another ditch on our right slipping into giant tire tracks, evidently gouged from a heavy transport truck that staggered through days earlier.
Our journey originated in Nairobi, Kenya. the purpose was to explore virgin territories for our small safari business named Afritrek, based in Bradford, England.
Our destination was Bradford, 10,000 miles away. The Wild Rover would eventually take us across the ‘fearful void’ of the Sahara desert. We knew the risks. There would be no Triple-A tow trucks, no Life Flight helicopters dropping from the sky in case of injuries.
The mud was evil, unforgiving. The Wild Rover churned through the sludge, its wheels spinning and whining, trying to get a grip. Suddenly the vehicle veered to the left and came to a jolting halt in a pit, almost turning on its side. It was teetering at a 45 degree angle, the right front wheel up in the air. Steam rose in white clouds from the overheated radiator. Gordon grabbed a thermos and two cups strapped to the dash, then pushed against the weight of the right hand front door. We climbed out, and dropped down into the shin deep mud. We slogged through the slop to the side of the track. We sat down on some solid earth to the side.
The tunnel of the jungle now felt claustrophobic, closing in on us. It had become an open air prison. We stared glassy eyed at the now beached Wild Rover. The situation looked hopeless. Gordon unscrewed the cap on the thermos to pour tea into the cups. Did I taste a hint of gin. Emergency rations of course. We did not say a word. Insects hummed their monotonous one note in the surrounding green tapestry of trees and monkey vines.
An hour later two African men suddenly appeared, wearing t-shirts and shorts navigating through the mud maze in their bare feet. We offered them cash and shovels to help dig Wild Rover out of the tar pit. Immediately the four of us were digging, clawing in the mud, hour after hour. panting, digging, panting, digging in a hundred degree steam bath heat. Losing buckets of sweat. Wild Rover refused to budge. The pushing, panting, pushing until we heard a loud POP. Gordon a crack mechanic, dropped his head and groaned. He knew what the sound was. “The rear differential’s GONE”. That was the bad news. The “good” news: the front wheel differential was intact.
But we still had thousands of miles to go through the Congo, the Central Africa Republic, Cameroon, edge of Chad, Niger, Algeria,Morocco, Spain, France and through southern England. And the Wild Rover wasn’t even out of its mud cocoon yet. Could we possibly make it all the way to England? Limping along only on front wheel drive, in an aging, overloaded safari vehicle?
I did not want to think ahead to the burning sands of the Sahara Desert. Nicknamed the Great Thirst….
Elefence International, Inc. 