meet Jos Danckwerts, project manager at the Panda Masuie elephant release site

When orphaned elephants who have been rescued and cared for at the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN) reach 3 to 5 years of age, they are often ready to be transferred to the IFAW-ZEN release site in the Panda Masuie Forest Reserve.

IFAW funds the lease of this 345-square-kilometre (85,000-acre) habitat where the orphaned elephants learn to live in the wild. “They spend a lot of time in the bush, accompanied by handlers and rangers,” says Jos Danckwerts, project manager the Panda Masuie release site. “They are learning about the wild, so they are feeding, they are exploring, and importantly, this is where they meet wild elephants.”

After a few years at the release site, the hope is for each orphaned elephant to complete their journey by permanently joining a wild herd.

Every elephant is crucial to the survival of the species. And the work of every person like Jos helps bring to life the vision of IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative, which aims to conserve Africa’s elephants into the future.