meet January Gweshe, head elephant carer at the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery

Across Africa, where elephants are threatened with extinction due to poaching, climate change, and loss and fragmentation of their habitats, every individual is crucial to the survival of the species. That’s why IFAW works with elephant nurseries that care for orphans and give them a second chance at life in the wild.

Many elephant orphans in Zimbabwe are brought to the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN) in Harare, where they provide intense care for calves whose mothers have died—sometimes killed by poachers or due to human-wildlife conflict. ZEN’s head elephant carer, January Gweshe, is part of a full-time team who ensure the rescued and often traumatised calves get the care and support they need to survive and thrive. “I see them as my family,” says January.

IFAW partners with Wild is Life-ZEN as part of our Room to Roam initiative, a visionary approach to conservation in Africa with a mission to help ensure a future for elephants.