EleFANts!

Several years ago, I watched a documentary about an elephant orphange just outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Not thinking much of it, a friend of mine and Acadia's Sustainability Coordinator, Jodie told me about a great elephant orphange also in Kenya. It wasn't too long before I made the connection, that these were the same orphange. The orphanage, of course being, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT)

If you haven't heard of this incredible organization, I urge you to look into this one a bit. To give you a Comes Notes version, it essentially rescues elephants that have been orphaned due to a number of reasons, although it is usually at the hand of poaching (which is illegal in Kenya, but still happens more than you'd like to admit). During the course of each elephant's stay, they are cared for and rehabilitated to the point that they are eventually released back into the wild.

One of the really cool things about the DSWT, is that they really limit the amount of interaction with humans, so as not to get them too comfortable with us. But, they also appreciate the learning opportunities that can come from what they are trying to achieve. So, for one hour everyday (aside from Christmas!), they open the Centre to the public. Since hearing about it, it has been on my bucket list, and today I am really excited to say that I can cross it off!

Getting there, of course, was not as simple as it should have been. With limited time, and unexpected traffic jams, by the time we reached, we only had 15 minimin to observe and take in the sight of multiple elephants before us. But it was worth it!

Here are a few of the highlights of our time at DSWT:

To learn more about this incredible organization or find out how you can contribute, you can check out their website at https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org.

-the Orange Canadian