A fragile blonde woman who has dedicated her life to saving orphaned elephants. Adine Roode is the founder of the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development Centre. Get to know her life!
Khanyisa curiously examined the trap lying in wait for her in South Africa's Kruger National Park, unaware of the terrible danger she was about to face. The little elephant calf had pushed her head into the sharp wire snare, which immediately cut through her mouth, ears, and jawline. The nearly dehydrated four-month-old albino elephant was found four days later—and her life was saved.
Khanyisa became a resident of the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development Centre (HERD), where just one month later, she was healthy again, weighing 150 kilograms and gaining an additional 500 grams daily. She spent her time joyfully playing with her caregivers, from whom she also received her name. "Khanyisa" means "light" in the Tsonga language.
"The conflict between humans and animals is becoming more severe, and we're finding more and more orphaned elephants," explains the founder of HERD. "The elephants' habitat is drastically shrinking, so unfortunately, it is likely that in the future, we will have to expect more abandoned calves. In Khanyisa's case, we don't know exactly where or how she was separated from her mother."
Among the massive, multi-ton creatures stands a fragile, blonde woman who feels truly at home here. She is Adine Roode, named Woman of the Year in 2019 on the Relais & Châteaux Woman of The Year list. The trophy was created in memory of a legendary woman, Louise Pommery, who in 1874 crafted the first Champagner Brut Nature, the famous Cuvée Louise, one of the historic bottles of exceptionally dry champagne.
Born in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, Adine Roode is still only 47 years old, but the legacy initiated by her ancestors and expanded by her is already considered legendary. The head of Jabulani Safari and the founder of the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development Centre (HERD) fell in love with African wildlife as a child. Her fondest childhood memories are of family trips to Kruger National Park. She spent her school holidays on her father’s property, where the Kapama Game Reserve, originally a vast pasture for the family's livestock, was transformed. Johann Roode quickly realized the potential for development in the area. Kapama became home to buffalo, elephants, giraffes, big cats, and more, where the enthusiastic young girl supplemented her pocket money with conservation work. She gained her knowledge from her mother.
Initially, Adine took care of orphaned or injured elephants and rhinos on her father's property, but today she is the proud owner of Jabulani. The story of one of South Africa’s most popular and highly acclaimed five-star safari parks is much more than just a luxury accommodation tale. It all started with an abandoned, four-month-old injured elephant calf, who was saved but could not be returned to the wild elephant herd on the property, as the herd repeatedly rejected the little refugee. However, Jabulani—the name given to the calf—was given a fortunate turn in life when her caregivers received an urgent call to rescue an elephant herd in Zimbabwe, whose lives were in danger due to the country's new land laws. After a few days of intensive organization, the experts traveled and brought the herd to South Africa, where the matriarch—followed by the rest of the herd—accepted little Jabulani. Since then, this herd has also "adopted" three more orphans.
To ensure the financial support needed for future rescue operations, they established a luxury safari lodge named after Jabulani, which opened its doors in 2005. In the following years, the caregivers received more happiness, as the true proof of their successful work came when the females from the rescued Zimbabwean herd became pregnant one after the other, giving birth to 5 healthy calves.
Adine Roode, the managing director of Jabulani, established the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development Centre (HERD) in 2019. HERD is South Africa's first elephant orphanage, because every elephant deserves a herd – emphasizes the founder.
Adine inherited her business acumen from her father, along with the incredibly important trait of seeing challenges that need solutions, rather than focusing on the problems, especially in difficult situations. "What is truly valuable is never easy. The road to success is fragile. You must move step by step to reach it," Johann Roode would tell his daughter.
The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) was established on the family farm inherited from her father by Lente Roode, Adine's mother, and her husband. The center's mission is to rescue rare, vulnerable, and endangered animal species, with cheetah conservation being one of their main activities. After the unexpected and tragic death of the family patriarch, father, and chief mentor, the family had to rethink their business. It was at this point that Adine and her mother took on the leadership of HESC and began to develop the plans for Jabulani.
Since 2019, Adine has dedicated all of her time to elephant conservation, leading HERD and the Jabulani Lodge. Thanks to her efforts, the revenue from the latter helps fund HERD’s work. Although her official title is managing director, over the years, Adine Roode has developed into a professional who is not afraid to get her hands dirty with physical labor when needed.
The past few months, marked by the quarantine measures implemented during the global pandemic, opened a new chapter in the life of Jabulani. "The lockdown was also a gift for us, as it allowed us to slowly and calmly introduce the new arrival, Khanyisa, to the herd," says Adine Roode. During this time, they focused on social media, regularly sharing with Jabulani and HERD's followers how the little albino elephant spends her days and how she is adjusting to the rest of the herd.
At the same time, the absence of visitors has caused financial difficulties for the center, as the income from guests supported the work of the animal protectors. With exciting virtual games and donations, they hope to bridge this tough period and maintain interest in the center. However, they have not lost hope, as Adine Roode explained, the team is like one big family that laughs together, prays together, and their main goal is to provide the best possible care for these wonderful animals.
"When you work in nature, you experience and see much more strongly what you create. It's an incredibly special feeling, one that's hard to put into words. The true recognition comes from knowing that I am part of something very good and important. The experiences I gathered in Kruger National Park and on my parents' property deepened the bond I have with wildlife. These memories showed me the world in which I plan to spend the rest of my life: the world of nature and wildlife conservation."
