Sharon trained some safari guides from surrounding lodges to be able to identify key individuals, so that they could better share their splendour with tourists.
Wild, adult female elephants came to Sharon when they were called by name – and even more remarkably, allowed her to rub their trunks. What kept Sharon in Zimbabwe was the beauty and wonder of the Hwange veld – which still remained, despite everything – and the extraordinary relationship that she formed with these free-roaming Presidential giants over many years. Snaring was once again rife, while continual efforts were made to save the lives of maimed animals. Every year from that point on, pans were left to dry up the elephants forced to move elsewhere to find adequate water. But still, the degradation – and the threats and intimidation - continued. What followed was 16 months of heartache and endurance, before this situation was eventually righted. No sooner was the snaring situation under better control, a government official claimed this tourism land as his own (as part of Zimbabwe’s ‘land reform’ program), and managed to secure quotas to sport-hunt. But it soon became apparent that snaring was rife – Sharon’s elephant friends succumbing to terrible injuries - and snare-destruction teams were established to help combat the poaching problem.
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