The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Annamaria on Monday

I briefly introduced this organization here on MIE a couple of years ago, when I first visited the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi. Thanks to a knowledgeable Uber driver, my friend Nicoletta and I learned about it and were able to visit immediately. This blog is illustrated mostly with photos and videos  I took that day. They do not do the place justice.

 

Elephants in the wild are subject to all sorts of dangers, and not just from their natural predators. We all know about the poachers, who slaughter them for their ivory. Sometimes a mother is killed and her offspring is left to perish. If word gets to the Sheldrick people, they go and take the baby to their orphanage. They have also rescued baby elephants who have fallen down wells, elephants who fall sick and need medical care, as well as elephants who have been injured, perhaps from an attack by a predator that they have somehow escaped—likely with the help of other elephants.  Anyone who, as I have, had the privilege of observing elephants in the wild will have seen exactly how careful an elephant herd is of their babies. Here’s an image of what that looks like, taken—not in the orphanage—but in the Maasai Mara (my candidate for the most beautiful place on earth).

 

 

On the day when Nicoletta and I visited the orphanage in Nairobi, we learned some fascinating things about how the Sheldrick organization raises infant elephants, given the fact that elephant milk is not generally available at the supermarket.  This was a difficult problem to solve. All available types of milk were tried—cow, goat, sheep, but none of them helped baby elephants to thrive.  Then the Seldrick staff hit on something that works wonderfully. Human baby formula! The little orphans drink it from an elephant sized baby bottle, and it's one of the cutest things you've ever seen to watch them drink.

 

Another thing that baby elephants need and want to do is to roll around in the mud. If my childhood is any indication, human babies—at least human 3-year-olds—are also drawn to mud.

 

 

Sheldrick does a lot more than rescue and bring up babies. They have learned how to return the grown young elephants to the wild. Reintegration is part of what they do, and they have gotten good enough at it that former orphans are now giving birth in the wild.

 

The organization also works at protecting elephants from human predators, with air surveillance. And as I have said medical aid to animals both in the wild and even when they have to be taken away to be treated.

 

My photography that I have shared here is  not so hot, but if you go to the Seldrick website you will see marvelous photographs illustrating how Sheldrick goes about their work. It's worth a virtual visit just to look at the pictures, I assure you. Perhaps, while there, you will be tempted to adopt an elephant.  I have done so with a small monthly donation that will be inconsequential on my credit card statement.  And perhaps, after adopting one for yourself, you will give a gift of an adoption. I did that once, and the gift was well received.

 

ASIDE:

 

Update on San Marino, especially for Zoe:

 

Last week, Zoe, you commented that you hoped you would be able to visit San Marino. I have since learned some new information that may encourage you to realize that wish. San Marino, by a wide margin, came in #1 at the Tokyo Olympics this year of nations’ success by population.  In other words, they won more medals per capita than any other country, by a long (ahem) shot.

Credit here to Molly McClure for her heads-up on this

 

 

San Marino sent five athletes to Tokyo, and three of them won medals! Here is the reason I think this will particularly appeal to you:

Alessandra Perilli

Credit: Getty Images

 

 She won for shooting! San Marino may be just the place where people in say Charlie Fox's line of work might go to recruit new hires.