Toffee

This is a story about an eland in South Africa called Toffee. Toffee was to my friend what Dennis and Doreen are to me. A daily reminder of the joy of life and nature and our ability to connect with it. They live in a remote farm in Limpopo province, just near the Kruger National Park. They bought the farm a couple of years ago and they are surrounded by the most amazing view of bush and many wild animals. 

Toffee was one of them. A graceful Livingstone eland approaching their property curious to meet the new neighbours but also looking for some sustenance in the the dry season. 

Toffee had been a rescue as a calf when her mother was killed. She became a regular and loved to visit  the farm and my friend acknowledges, with tears in her eyes, that she always looked forward to seeing her. She brought a smile to her face so she was always concerned when she did not see her on a regular basis. 

Some weeks ago Toffee went missing. They went out to look for her. They found her half dead covered in terrible ticks and wounds infested with maggots. They called the vet and transported her to the farm. 

The diagnosis was extreme anaemia, bled out by ticks and and maggots. A week ago my friend called to say Toffee had turned a corner and was eating and seemed to be improving. 

Some days ago however she was unable to get up, the vet was called again and she was put on a drip. Yesterday when I spoke to her she said that Toffee had taken a turn for the worse and the vet was called who in a last ditch attempt to save her, decided to give her cow blood to counteract the anaemia but that had its own dangers. The following day she was shaking uncontrollably and in spite of all their efforts they lost her shortly after. My friend and her son, who had spared no cost or effort to save her, were devastated by her loss. 

The vet asked for permission to do an autopsy to find out why, in spite of all the help she was given, she had died. This is what they found - a mass of undigested plastic bags blocking her stomach. 

Oh the horror, the horror of these poor animals trying to eat and finding their stomachs blocked by these indigestible plastics which kill them. This is not a problem confined to Africa. It is sadly so widespread, in our streets and parks, our forests and seas and we are not doing enough, not nearly enough to stop this happening. Toffee died unnecessarily. The mass in her stomach prevented her from digesting enough food to sustain her. She was only ten, but litter and plastic bags had been in her stomach for years. Toffee like so many other wild animals on the planet didn't stand a chance.