Baby elephant adoptions at the Wimberley Players

For the second year in a row, the Wimberley Players is providing the opportunity to adopt baby elephants during their annual fundraising auction that runs Nov. 10 - Nov. 24 at wimberleyplayers. org. Orphaned by drought, illegal poaching, and conflicts with humans, baby elephants are mainly rescued from the Tsavo East region of Kenya. Rescued orphans become wards of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which developed the most successful adoption program on the planet. Through trial and error, Daphne Sheldrick discovered substitutes for mother's milk, learned the complex emotional and developmental needs of the species, and innovated a program to rescue them from extinction. Babies are so traumatized by the loss of their mothers that a human keeper is assigned to each one for years. Keepers wrap the infant in a blanket and stay with them day and night for many months until they can be integrated into a small group. Once a group is accepted, the maturing youngster finds his or her place in a small herd of older peers. In time, the young adults are released into the wild under the watchful eye of the Trust's trained team of wardens. Wardens work assiduously to protect the animals after release. Orphaned baby giraffes, hippos and black and white rhinos also come into their care.

For over 25 years, Kenyaborn Daphne Sheldrick lived and worked alongside her husband, David Sheldrick, MBE, a naturalist and founding Warden of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya. Throughout this time, they raised and successfully rehabilitated many wild animal species. Daphne Sheldrick’s involvement with wildlife also spanned a lifetime, and she was a recognized international authority on the rearing of wild creatures. She was the first person to have perfected the milk formula and necessary husbandry for infant milk-dependent elephants, discovering that coconut oil was the nearest substitute for the fat in elephant milk. The Trust was created to honor both Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, and her husband, David Sheldrick MBE. Since their deaths, the Trust has been administered by their daughter Angela Sheldrick. The Trust works alongside the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Forest Service, and local communities.

The adoption allows bidders to fund the care of an orphan for one year. This year again, there are three opportunities to adopt. The adoption includes a tote bag filled with items that celebrate the Sheldrick cause.

Participation in the auction is open to everyone. In addition to adoptions, the Wimberley Players is offering unique getaways to Santa Fe, Marfa, Galveston, and Waxahachie, as well as unusual activities in Fredericksburg, San Antonio, San Marcos, Driftwood, and Buda. Acting and audition classes for adults and children, as well as professional cinematography services, horse whispering, percussion, and storytelling for kids featuring Monica Rasco's Goodnight Wimberley, are up for bid. Useful and luxury items complete the offerings.

"We wanted to offer items that might entice bidders to travel nearby by car, since we heard that for many, airline travel felt to be premature," said Board President Nick Bradshaw. "The Players have been doing excellent work for 43 years and is

Wimberley's oldest nonprofit. Many, many, theatres did not survive COVID. Because of the extreme dedication of our staff and volunteers, we managed to keep the theatre running by innovating on many levels.

We now offer both live and streaming performances and host outdoor films and concerts. We hope bidders will recognize the merits of our tenacity and vision and bid generously to sustain us."