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Today is GlobalGiving’s annual July Bonus Day! This year, we’re raising funds for elephant bull Fishan.
You can donate to our Fishan project here.
Fishan was born around 1989, and he was part of the original herd that was rescued from Zimbabwe. In September 2018, Fishan stepped into a deep hole and fractured the ulna bone in his front left leg. It was a serious injury and the road to recovery was not easy. Fishan required x-rays, casts and lots of veterinary help, and he underwent two procedures to treat his leg. For four months, Fishan could not walk and had to stay behind at the homestead while the rest of the herd went into the wilderness. Now, nearly four years later, Fishan is much stronger and spends each day with his herd in the wilderness. He can even join them for swims and mud baths. He walks with a slight limp now, but manages inclines and declines surprisingly well. Fishan does still require medical attention, especially during the winter. He experiences some stiffness in his injured leg in the colder winter months, and he therefore requires anti-inflammatory support.
Over the years since his injury, Fishan has developed a pressure sore on the leg that he injured. This is because he leans on his left side when resting and sleeping, as this allows him to use his stronger legs – his right legs – to get up. The pressure wound requires daily cleaning, as it is important to keep the pressure wound clean to prevent infection. Fishan’s wound is flushed with Chlorhexidine and then colloidal silver, which cleans and disinfects the wound. Traumeel is used as supportive treatment for the relief of pain and inflammation.
Fishan needs the following medications and treatments:
- Colloidal silver – $50 per month
- Chlorhexidine – $70 per month
- Elephant feed – $233 per month
- Anti-inflammatories – $250 per month
- Veterinary services – $500 per visit
- Elephant carer’s salary – $3,000 per month
- Traumeel – $300 per month (two ampules per day)
- TLB with diesel – $330 per day (to rebuild the sleeping sand mounds daily – to better reduce the pressure on Fishan’s injured leg)
Fishan is very much a strong member of his blended family and we’re greatly appreciative of the fosters and donors who help us to support, protect and care for him, since he is now more reliant on our aid. Fishan would not have been able to make it this far without your support, and we will always be deeply grateful to you. We hope you consider helping Fishan again through this campaign.
