In
February I had the most amazing time working with orphan baby elephants in
Kenya. This came about through watching The
Elephant Diaries on television. It was a brilliant programme and I was
deeply moved by the obvious heartbreak that some of the orphans were
experiencing. I knew that Animal Aromatics would be of immense benefit to
the elephants so I wrote to the
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
a week later I booked my ticket!
I am no
stranger to the Animal Kingdom having worked at London Zoo for eight years
and at a Rescue Cattery for 6 years. I have also spent years training with
Caroline
Ingraham at the International School of
Animal Aromatics and Zoopharmacognosy.
Animal
Aromatics works on the principle of giving back to animals the medicinal,
non-food range of remedies similar in chemical make-up to those they would
naturally seek and use in the wild. These include a variety of essential
oils, absolutes, plant extracts, macerated oils, clays,
spirulina, rosehips and seaweed.
Animals
are very sensitive, intuitive creatures and given the opportunity are able
to use their innate abilities to select any remedies needed and guide the
dosage. It is this innate knowledge that is the key to Animal Aromatics. The
complex relationship between animals and plants has resulted in animals
developing an enzymatic physiology that has adapted to break down and
neutralise most plant compounds. Such a process is not seen with many
synthetic drugs where there is a possibility of side affects.
Animal
Aromatics can benefit any type of animal and treats the cause, symptoms and
emotional body together as one. Aromatics can help with the following
conditions:
Movement issues
Skin complaints
Wounds and infection
Allergies
Respiratory / Digestive /
Urinary disorders
Emotional / Behavioural
problems
Aggressive and angry behaviour
Grief and depression
Release from psychological and
emotional traumas
 |
Elephants
have a strong sense of family and death and feel many of the
same emotions that humans feel. They grieve deeply for lost
loved ones, even shedding tears and suffering depression.
Dr. Dame Daphne
Sheldrick D.B.E.
|
According
to Traditional Chinese Medicine grief and sadness are housed in the lungs. A
big problem for the baby elephants is pneumonia. Elephants cant cough so
there is no indication that anything is wrong until it is too late. The
stomach is also a weak point for the babies.
The aim
of this project was to find aromatics that supported the emotions, the
lungs, the stomach and the immune system. The elephants were great teachers.
The first
day we decided to offer oils to support the emotions. We went into the bush
where the elephants spend most of the day. Angelica Root, Rose, Mimosa and
Arnica were popular with all the elephants and they would wrap their trunks
around the hand holding the bottle and guide it into their mouth to the
vomeronasal organ in the roof of their mouth.
Some of the elephants wanted drops put on their tongues.
My
favourite was a 2 year old male called Kenze
who was very lucky to be alive. His story can be found at
www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org I am a real sucker
for the animals like this. In the bush he kept his distance but was
definitely interested in the oils. When he sniffed the Angelica Root his
eyes started to water and with the Rose huge tears rolled down his cheeks.
It was a strong emotional release for him and a very emotional experience
for me. Later that evening when he was in his stockade I gave the Rose to
his keeper. Kenze inhaled deeply, lowered his
head and half closed his eyes. He was very relaxed. His keeper rubbed some
of the Rose onto to Kenzes head.
The next
evening when I went to offer Kenze more oils he
actually came right up to the door of his stockade to take his oils from me.
I was thrilled. This time Kenze actually wanted
the oil put on his tongue. Dame Daphne Sheldrick
was watching and was very impressed with the change in
Kenze after only a few days.
The
Aromatics were a huge success with the elephants and the keepers were very
happy to use the plant medicines - even queuing up for treatments
themselves! As well as the oils to support the emotions, we left oils to
support the lungs, stomach and the immune system. Interestingly, the oils
that the elephants preferred were ones that were native to their own habitat
and this makes sense.
My time
with the elephants was short but very exciting and I will definitely be
going back sometime to do more work with the elephants.
