Love, Life, and Elephants by Daphne Sheldrick

The infants that come to the elephant orphanage have often lost their mothers to poaching.

Nat Hab makes a donation to the orphanage’s fostering program for each guest who visits, so our travelers are able to “adopt” an elephant calf and follow their journey through regular updates. Thanks to Daphne, there are now 100 orphaned elephants who have been reintegrated into the wild herds of Tsavo, and 29 wild calves born to former orphans so far. Nat Hab guests traveling on our Kenya safaris have the opportunity to visit the orphanage on our Extra Day in Nairobi extension. She was the first person to perfect the milk formula needed for milk-dependent calves to survive, successfully rearing new-born elephants and rhinos through their fragile first months. With compassionate care, Daphne inspired the grieving elephants, who’d lost their families and often their will to live, to continue on. Daphne was known for being determined to never turn away an animal, always maintaining hope that an infant could recover. The Orphans’ Project, founded by Daphne, has achieved enormous successes, having rescued and hand-reared more than 230 orphaned elephants, along with black rhinos and other wildlife in need of aid. The organization has been at the forefront of many initiatives, including anti-poaching efforts and the safeguarding of habitats, veterinary assistance to wounded wildlife, and conservation education in communities and schools.Īt the heart of the Trust’s work is the rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction of orphaned elephants into the wild. From humble beginnings, the Trust has grown to become one of the most notable conservation organizations in East Africa. Daphne created the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in 1977, naming it after her late husband who was a founding warden of Tsavo East, Kenya’s largest national park. Natural Habitat Adventures celebrates the life of a remarkable woman and champion of elephant conservation, Dame Daphne Sheldrick, who passed away at the age of 83 this month.

Love, Life, and Elephants by Daphne Sheldrick