Roxy at her Sanctuary-Wild is Life
By Donald Chakamanga
“Moyo was the first elephant to come into my care, and my only goal when she came to me was just to keep her alive,” says a 57-year-old Zimbabwean wildlife rehabilitator, Roxy Dancwert.
Roxy’s love for the welfare of animals has seen her invest a substantial amount of money and time towards helping abandoned, injured and orphaned animals in Zimbabwe.
Recently, she was honoured with the International Lifetime Achievement 2023 Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in London, United Kingdom.
Founder of Wild is Life, an animal sanctuary located in Harare, Roxy and her team have rescued over 50 elephants at their sanctuary inside the last ten years.
Due to her enthusiastic work, she rescues, rehabilitates, and rewilds orphan elephants and other wildlife.
Elephants are one of the most difficult species to hand-raise and rehabilitate, largely due to their unique physiology and sentient nature.
Roxy is involved in hundreds of wildlife rescues. She began with no formal training and had to learn on the job.
“When I started, all I had was a garage and a bunch of ideas. Caring for a young elephant might sound idyllic, but in reality, it was not joyful. I often wondered what I had got myself into. It was an incredibly physically and mentally exhausting job, where I was often knee-deep in elephant mess!” she said.
Once the elephants have learnt the skills needed to survive in the wild, Roxy and her team translocate them to the soft release site, at the Panda Masuie Forest Reserve on Zimbabwe’s western border.
IFAW President, Azzedine Downes and Roxy Dancwerts pose for a photograph during the International Animal Action Awards in London.
Around 30 elephants are in various stages of reintroduction to the wild from the sanctuary. Through collar tracking and camera traps, the whereabouts of many of these elephants have been documented and they are successfully living a wild life.
Roxy is also actively trying to change mindsets encouraging people to embrace a more understanding approach towards animals – something she refers to as a ‘culture of care’.
“We need to tap into the hearts and minds of people, and I think it’s working. People are recognising the intrinsic value that our unique wildlife can bring, and we are seeing a culture shift,” Roxy said.
On winning the award, Roxy said: “I was in shock. Sometimes we can get a sense of imposter syndrome, although to be recognised by a globally respected organisation such as IFAW in this respect, is just astonishing.”
“I am just a simple woman, and all I ever wanted was to just help some animals. This has grown into something bigger than I ever imagined. Sometimes things don’t go as planned which can lead to heartache, but this has given me the most enormous boost,” she added.
President and CEO of IFAW, Azzedine Downes, said, “What Roxy has done for elephants and other wild animals, is truly outstanding. She has frequently challenged the status quo and gone against the grain, defying what some said could not be done – and done it. Her determination and devotion are inspirational on every level, and I’m delighted to see her receive the prestigious IFAW Lifetime Achievement Award.”
