Every step Fishan takes is agony.
In South Africa’s Greater Kruger wilderness, this 37-year-old elephant should be at the peak of his physical strength roaming the bush with his herd.
Instead, he lives with severe and debilitating pain every day of his life, dependent on human kindness to make life in the bush possible. Fishan is struggling with a long-term injury that will only get worse without specialized medical care. Fishan is part of the HERD (Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development) wild elephant project that helps orphaned or rescued elephants form a herd and live together in the wilderness.
Over the years, our supporters have helped Fishan with special care, aiming to keep his life as happy and natural as possible. Years ago, Fishan – who had already endured a traumatic rescue from Zimbabwe – fractured his leg after stepping into a deep hole in shallow water. Although he partially recovered, the injury never healed completely.
For Fishan, age and arthritis have turned an old injury into daily suffering.
When Fishan first broke his leg, he was unable to bear weight on it. For 36 agonising hours, the HERD team stayed by his side, gently encouraging him forward, a few painful steps at a time. They brought him food, water and even a bathtub, filling it with water so he could stand in it and ease the relentless throb in his injured leg. At night, they slept near him in the bush so that he wouldn’t suffer alone.
Fishan suffers from debilitating pain after fracturing his leg. He uses this bathtub filled with water to bring relief, but it isn’t enough. Source: HERD
Months of specialist veterinary treatment followed. Vets fitted Fishan’s fractured leg with a cast, but caring for an enormous bull elephant is no easy task. One cast broke beneath his immense weight. Then another. His team refused to give up, adapting his treatment until he recovered enough to return to the herd.
But the damage never truly disappeared.
Fishan depends on expensive specialist veterinary treatment, pain relief and rehabilitation to stay mobile.
We know many of our supporters who remember Fishan will want to help him again. His care, including specialist veterinary treatment and medication, costs around $7,000 (£ 5,200) per month and we are asking our supporters to do what they can to help. Without this special medical care, Fishan’s pain will worsen. And, for an adult male elephant weighing as much as 15,000 pounds (6,800 kilograms), we can only imagine how intense his untreated pain would be.
Continued specialist veterinary treatment is necessary to keep Fishan mobile and free from pain. You can help make this possible. Source: HERD
Elephants are among the most intelligent and emotionally complex animals on Earth. They comfort those they love. Now it’s our turn to comfort Fishan.
At 37, Fishan should be in his prime. Your donation today will help make every step a little less painful and make his time with his herd longer. Please make a generous gift today.
