Three ordinary Aussies are fighting to save one of the world’s most precious icons of our fragile planet. Here are the faces behind the cause that gave one little elephant every chance at survival and who continue to share her story to help a fragile species. Like Bona, these three share an incredible trait- a determination to never give up hope. Meet Team Bona.
Murray, aka “Muzza”, finished up a hectic couple of years at his full time job to take a well deserved holiday to Bali. 6 weeks of nothing but relaxation was on the agenda until the Save Bona campaign fell into his lap. Instead of daily yoga sessions and meditation, Muzza was glued to the iPad writing endless emails, skyping all over the world and making new connections with people he never dreamed he’d be connecting with. But regardless of the change in direction that is now his daily life, he wouldn’t change it for the world to be Bona’s voice. Muzza is 110% committed to the campaign to help Bona along her journey and help a species on the brink of extinction. From classrooms to national television, Muzza continues to retell Bona’s story in the hope of inspiring change. He was born to do this kind of stuff!
Amanda, aka “Frenchy”, is normally at home lending a voice to the whales, so saving a baby elephant is a completely new challenge all together! Often referred to as the “wordsmith” by the rest of the team, Frenchy has written exquisitely about the team’s journey throughout telling Bona’s story far and wide in the media. With an insatiable appetite for information her questioning of every aspect throughout brought forward vital information that lead to some important decisions being made and connections with people that otherwise may not have been possible. She is driven by a passion that is so often her sole focus that nothing else will come between her and her fight to turn a once abandoned baby elephant into a household name. She’s proud as punch of Bona the cover girl, becoming an incredible ambassador for her own species.
Bruce, aka “Brusca”, was a travelling photographer/videographer. Last year he sold everything he had to hit the road on an amazing photography expedition around Australia with nothing but a van and his camera gear to document an incredible landscape. But, somewhere along the way, a particular little elephant caught his attention and he threw it all in to fly to Sumatra with the team to document her progress. Brusca’s emotive images have captured the entire journey and the hearts of thousands of followers around the world. His images and video documenting have enabled the world to follow along her progress and be a part of the experience. And talk about life-changing, Brusca now calls Sumatra home, being the team’s full-time coordinator at camp Bona!
