Rachael Murton Receives IFAW Wildlife Rescue Award
The conservationist is honored for her long-standing work leading elephant rehabilitation efforts in Zambia.
Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Wildlife
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Conservationist Rachael Murton received the IFAW Wildlife Rescue Award at the Animal Action Awards in London. The honor recognizes her dedicated efforts in leading elephant rescue and rehabilitation initiatives in Zambia.
Why it matters
Her work provides critical rescue services for orphaned elephants displaced by poaching or human-elephant conflict. By rewilding these animals, the project aims to restore populations and protect natural landscapes.
Rachael Murton currently manages over 280 employees and rangers to support 17 elephants in rehabilitation. Her work spans 18 years of operations in Zambia.
The players
Rachael Murton
A conservationist and Royal Holloway graduate who grew up in Essex and leads major wildlife protection initiatives in Zambia.
IFAW
The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a global organization that hosts the Animal Action Awards to recognize conservationists.
Elephant Orphanage Project
A Zambian conservation initiative focused on rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned elephants through a low-contact rewilding model.
The details
The project utilizes a specialized rewilding process that significantly limits human contact with elephants to ensure successful transition. This holistic conservation model also involves local communities and landscape protection efforts.
Timeline
2008: Rachael Murton established the Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia.
2025: An elephant named Chamilandu gave birth to her second calf in the wild.
October 23, 2026: Rachael Murton received the IFAW Wildlife Rescue Award in London.
Culture Shift
This award highlights a broader societal shift toward prioritizing conservation models that emphasize minimal human interference. The success of the Elephant Orphanage Project's rewilding protocols signals an evolution in how international organizations value natural reintroduction over captive care.
Supporters can observe how wildlife rehabilitation impacts global biodiversity and the management of protected landscapes. The initiative also emphasizes the importance of community-led conservation in areas experiencing human-elephant conflict.
The takeaway
Effective wildlife conservation requires long-term commitment to rehabilitating displaced animals in their natural habitats. Supporting programs that emphasize low-contact rewilding helps ensure that orphaned species can successfully integrate back into the wild.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest conservation efforts by visiting the Wildlife section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Essex Echo.
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