They say it’s never too late to follow your dreams, and if we were to illustrate this through someone’s life, it would surely be of Debbie Haynes. This month, we shine a spotlight on our ever-shining star who is Wildlife SOS’s UK Manager. Her journey with the organisation began in 2018 as an active volunteer at our centres, during which time Debbie was inspired and moved by the teams’ relentless commitment towards protecting India’s wildlife and environment.
After spending 25 years in the corporate world, Debbie decided to follow her heart and direct her hard-earned skill set to an organisation where she truly believed she could make a difference. Ever since joining Wildlife SOS, her focus has been on raising awareness, educating, and expanding our support network, among both corporations and individuals, in the UK. Debbie’s exceptional journey with, and exemplary contribution for, Wildlife SOS has left us inspired in many ways. Let’s take a look back at how it all began:
1. Did you ever imagine while growing up that you would one day be working in the field
of wildlife conservation?
Absolutely! However, growing up in a fairly urban area of the UK, it didn’t seem very likely. Back then, conservation wasn’t as high-profile a subject as it is now, and the opportunities to pursue wildlife as a career were much more limited. At that point, the world in general hadn’t really woken up to the serious negative impact humans were having on the planet and its wildlife.
From the age of 8, I recall being heartbroken whenever I heard of animal cruelty. With my beloved Labrador, Kate, always by my side, I decided that my dream job would be to run an ‘open’ boarding kennel, one where the quality of care for my four-legged clients would be the priority, not the profit. Not the best business plan ever, and one that never came to fruition!
By my mid-teens, I became fascinated with African wildlife, especially giraffes and elephants. I started reading biographies by conservationists, both professionals and enthusiasts, who were constantly highlighting the increasing plight of Asian elephants. As a result, my focus shifted towards them. While my career advanced in the corporate world, my interest in elephant conservation continued to grow. So, when I visited India in 2018, I was determined to volunteer to help elephants. After extensive research on ethical organisations, I found myself volunteering at Wildlife SOS!
2. What was your first interaction with wildlife?
As a child, I loved animals of all shapes, sizes, and species (apart from spiders!) and could often be found in our garden shed trying to nurse injured animals and insects back to health. At one point, my ‘animal hospital’ was home to a tiny orphaned baby hedgehog, two butterflies with damaged wings, a newt, and a bird with an injured foot!
A safari holiday to Kenya was my first up-close experience with a different league of wildlife. Seeing wild giraffes, gazelles, elephants, rhinos, and zebras in their natural habitat made me realise how important it is to protect and respect these magnificent creatures—and all species.
Volunteering with Wildlife SOS allowed me to fulfil part of my dream by giving back to wildlife. However, I also became painfully aware of the horrors inflicted on highly endangered species like Asian elephants, through the essential rescue and rehabilitation work that Wildlife SOS carries out.
Upon returning to the UK, I found it increasingly difficult to feel satisfied with my job, so I took a leap of faith, hoping to find a role where I could truly make a difference for wildlife. Just 12 months later, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work in wildlife conservation with Wildlife SOS!
3. At Wildlife SOS, the story of which amongst the rescued animals struck you the most?
Zara’s story struck me the most, as she was the first elephant rescue I experienced as part of the Wildlife SOS team. Her rescue was significantly delayed due to the COVID pandemic. I still vividly recall the mix of emotions I felt as our team on the ground finally began her rescue. Zara is a relatively small elephant, and the image of her frail body being forced to carry a heavy saddle while walking on India’s busy, hot roads is something I found hard to forget. However, the joy of freeing her and bringing her into our care was overwhelming.
Last year, I was thrilled to finally ‘meet’ Zara at our Elephant Hospital. Watching her happily feasting on her favourites, watermelons, sugarcane, and pumpkins, was such a delight! Having been denied essential food while in captivity because her former owners couldn’t afford it, it was heartwarming to see her enjoy her meals. I could have stood there and observed her joy all day.
Another aspect of our work that never fails to lift my spirits is reuniting tiny leopard cubs with their mothers. Our outreach education programmes play a vital role in helping local communities understand the importance of wildlife conservation, which makes this project such a success.
4. Any experience at Wildlife SOS that is close to your heart?
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit our conservation and research project in Ramdurga with my colleague Sandhi, Director of Corporate and Philanthropic Partnerships. I wasn’t very familiar with the project and didn’t know what to expect. It’s fair to say that experiencing the breathtaking landscape of Ramdurga first-hand was incredible, and I can’t wait to return soon to help with the next steps!
Wildlife SOS launched the Ramdurga project in 2006, focusing on the restoration and conservation of the natural habitat in the Ramdurga Valley. The dedication, knowledge, and enthusiasm of the small team based there were infectious. What they’ve accomplished is truly remarkable—one aspect being the planting of over 10,000 native trees and shrubs, transforming the valley into a rich forest now home to sloth bears, leopards, reptiles, tortoises, wolves, and many more species.
Ramdurga has a unique aura, if that can be said about land! Walking among the trees and around the most curious and enormous boulder formations I’ve ever seen is something I’ll never forget.
5. Who inspires you to keep going and continuing the work that you do?
Our co-founders are a huge source of inspiration to me. When I look at what they’ve accomplished in just 30 years, through persistence, passion for animals, kindness, tireless campaigning, and humour. I feel incredibly proud to be part of their team. I’m sure, at times, it must feel much longer to them!
However, there is someone else who inspires me constantly and has made me realise that what I and Wildlife SOS do has an impact far beyond conservation, that person is our young UK supporter, Xavi.
When I first met Xavi in 2020, he was struggling. He has autism and ADHD, and at the time, he hated going to school, spending most of his days alone in a room. He was frustrated and felt like his brain didn’t work. Xavi has always loved animals, especially elephants, so his teacher reached out to us. After introducing him to Raju, our majestic bull elephant, and sharing his rescue story, something clicked for Xavi. He became focused on helping Raju, and the rest is history.
From that point on, Xavi’s life changed. He decided to fundraise for our elephants with incredible passion and determination. He now proudly says, ‘My autism is a superpower that helps me save elephants’, and he no longer thinks of his brain as ‘broken’. Instead, he says, ‘Now it works for the animals.’
Xavi’s unerring enthusiasm in the face of genuine difficulty, his strength of character, and his ability to see his own power to help elephants like Raju will never cease to inspire me.
6. What do you want to say to our young readers who are right now trying to figure out how to make a career in wildlife?
I would say, if you have a dream, don’t ever give up on it. If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way to make that dream a reality. It won’t always be easy, and it won’t always be obvious, after all, it took me until I was 54 to achieve my dream!
Work hard, stay curious, and most importantly… enjoy the journey!
