Elephant Sanctuary Jerusalema Challenge
The Jerusalema dance craze has swept the world, but no one expected animals to get in on the act. No one told the animals in a wildlife park in Zimbabwe, though. At the Wild Is Life sanctuary for rescued wild animals, the keepers, elephants, and even giraffes are taking part in the viral dance challenge.
If you somehow have managed to miss it, Jerusalema is a song by South African DJ Master KG and performed by Nomcebo. The song has exploded on the internet, with everyone from Cristiano Ronaldo to Janet Jackson posting a video of themselves dancing to it.
No offence to all these celebrities, but their performances can't hold a candle to the fun and touching video posted by the keepers. It was recorded by the facility's founder Roxy Danckwerts who said they decided to do it to combat lockdown boredom for the employees. Now that it has received so much attention and acclaim, however, she hopes that the viral video will help to raise awareness:
"I hope it will spread further and get more people involved in the challenge. But really, it is about — for us particularly — it is about spreading awareness about animals and the sentience of animals and the importance of animals for national heritage" Take a look at these brilliant nuns doing their version of the Jerusalema Challenge.
It's impossible for anyone not to feel uplifted by watching this incredible video. It shows many groups of employees dancing and clearly having a ball. What makes it extra special, though, is the parts that include animals from the sanctuary. In any reserve, the worry is that the animals will be stressed and unable to behave as they would in the wild. This video allays all those fears as the animals seem so relaxed with their human carers.
The internet certainly agrees as the performance has been viewed 2.8 million times and received 39,000 likes. The comments all share how emotional and happy viewers feel when they watch the team and animals at Wild Is Life: "I love these animals and their caretakers so much that I want to cry tears of Jerusalema JOY! God Bless them all. Loved the mother elephant who tried to dance with the guys."
Let's all hope more dance crazes sweep the internet so we can see more. We should also hope that funding and awareness are raised for this sanctuary and their excellent work preserving wildlife for future generations. If you want to see more from these brilliant animals and their keepers, subscribe to the sanctuary’s YouTube channel.