A young elephant in Zimbabwe with a deadly snare wrapped around his head, neck, and left ear needs your help right away.

Credit: KAWFT

With each passing day, the snare tightens its grip around the animal’s throat – and without our immediate intervention, his life could be cut painfully short.

Please help get our emergency rescue team to him right away! Our team is ready and waiting to remove the snare and save Masimba – meaning “Strong” in Shona – but we must raise the funds to charter a helicopter and dart him for treatment…

…If we do not act FAST, he could die. Read on…

Young male elephant in excruciating pain needs your urgent help!

Please help us raise funds for an URGENT snare removal for an elephant in terrible pain! Time is of the essence!

Credit: KAWFT

Our partner in Zimbabwe, Kariba Animal Welfare Fund Trust (KAWFT), spotted the 15-year-old male in the vicinity of the Lake Kariba region and immediately noted a snare wound tightly around his head, left ear and throat.

The wire from the snare is trailing roughly 13 feet (four meters) to the ground, and as it tightens more each day, it is likely causing Masimba immense pain. He cannot move his left ear at all due to the restriction.

Elephants’ ears are critical to their wellbeing, which means this young bull is in SERIOUS trouble right now.

The primary role of African elephants’ ears is not only for hearing, but for thermoregulation – ensuring the animal maintains an optimal body temperature in hot weather.

As the elephants flap their ears, they create a cooling breeze. Moreover, blood vessels close to the surface release heat, further cooling the animal. With summer temperatures in Lake Kariba currently reaching – and sometimes exceeding – 95°F (35°C), this function is critical to the animals’ overall health.

Elephants also use their large ears to deter predators, spreading them out to appear even larger to deter potential threats.

For illustrative purposes, it’s hard to get close to injured elephants as they are extremely protective of each other. 

Credit: KAWFT

The ONLY way to RAPIDLY and effectively remove the snare is by darting Masimba from a helicopter. Once he is tranquilized, our team can rush in and remove the life-threatening trap.

We need funds for the chopper right away – please help!

With your help, our team has effectively removed snares from elephants in Zimbabwe in the past.

With your support now, we can do it again. It is too dangerous to approach Masimba on foot; particularly as he is part of a large herd with highly protective mother elephants and their calves.

It is critical we hire a helicopter from which to dart the animal and that we MOVE fast.

If Masimba is not darted and treated SOON, the snare could begin slicing into his trachea, cutting off his air supply and killing him.

Please help us raise $10,500 (£8,316) to charter a pilot and helicopter, and hire a wildlife vet to carry out this critical rescue operation FAST.

Snare injuries cause excruciating pain and slow animals down, making them more vulnerable to poachers. Left untreated, they can be deadly.

Credit: Steve Edwards: CATERS NEWS 1

A successful snare removal could see him living happily for another 20 to 25 years – but if we do not help right away, his life may be cut tragically short as the wire cuts ever closer to his trachea and inhibits breathing.

Please, open your heart to an elephant in great need right now. Donate as much as you can to Animal Survival International today.