KENYA | A DAY WITH ELEPHANT ORPHANS AT DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST, NAIROBI.

Prior to visiting the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) Elephant Nursery, the only elephant my son has ever seen since he was born was Dumbo from his favorite American animated film. The night before our visit, we talked about baby elephants and he was super excited and couldn’t stop asking questions.When the big day finally arrived, I ended up just as excited as he was because I couldn’t wait to see his reaction. When the baby elephants started trotting in, I saw his eyes light up in awe and his heart melt. I felt like I had just hit a jackpot! Visiting the elephant sanctuary with him was a great idea!

It was sunny and hot, but not even the heat could stop us from spending time with the baby elephants, watching them being bottle-fed milk as we learned more about their backgrounds, including why and where they were rescued.Sadly, most of the gentle giants in the nursery were orphaned due to either poaching or abandonment. Some of them were rescued in very critical conditions, but DSWT gave them a second chance at a life and a home. Most of them don’t stay forever at the sanctuary, though. When they’re old enough and ready, DSWT carefully reintegrates the elephants back into the wild as part of a herd.Since 1948, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Nursery in Nairobi National Park has provided a safe haven to orphaned baby elephants. That year, David Sheldrick worked as the anti-poaching warden of one of the oldest and largest national parks in Kenya, Tsavo National Park. Alongside his wife Daphne, they fostered orphaned elephants and rhinos and worked to reintegrate them back into the wild. After David’s death in 1977, Daphne established DSWT in his memory. {Daphne Sheldrick passed away earlier this year at the age of 83.}Anyone anywhere in the world can support DSWT’s great cause by donating to the trust. For more information, kindly visit their website {sheldrickwildlifetrust.org}

For me and my son, it was definitely a morning well-spent up close and personal with such lovable creatures. Not only did we bond over our visit, we also learned a thing or two about elephant rescue, and our visit had contributed to the well-being of the elephants under DSWT’s care. 

Information
Mbagathi Road | Kws Workshop Entrance
Nairobi National Park, Nairobi 00503, Kenya
+254 733 891996
Website {David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust}
Visiting Hours 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM