Another Trip of a Lifetime
The first day started with irresistible baby elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, located in Nairobi National Park. Each of the six women on this private photo safari had adopted her own calf, and we were excited to discover that we would have a very private visit with those cuties at their late-morning feeding. At some silent signal, the elephants scampered around the corner from their bedrooms, practically knocking the keepers down to guzzle their breakfast.
My little guy, Kiombo, was born in March, 2017, in the Maasai Mara, and was orphaned when his mother died of unknown causes. When SWF heard about him they dispatched a team to watch him for a couple of days, during which time they identified the body of a lactating female they concluded had been his mother. Poor little Kiombo was in obvious distress, having gone without food for several days. In many cases, another herd will adopt an orphan, but in Kiombo’s case that didn’t happen. So the team wrapped him up, put him in a Land Cruiser and took him to the nearest airstrip, where a charter bush plane was waiting to transfer him to the SWF nursery. He has apparently adapted easily to his new home, and with his friends enjoys a little romp in the nearby bush every day as part of the process of readying him to be returned to the wild.
This wonderful facility has been rescuing orphans for forty years and is worth checking out here.
Just down the road we stopped at the Giraffe Center, established in 1979 to save the endangered Rothschild giraffe, whose numbers had dwindled to a mere 130. Here they breed the giraffes in captivity and introduce them into the wild. Feeding these handsome creatures was a real treat. Rothschilds are distinguished by the dark center appearing in their brown spots.
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What an exciting way to begin our adventure in Kenya!
Diana you have such adventures. Love traveling with you and your pictures are fantastic. Thank you for sharing these amazing experiences!
What a fantastic experience, Diana! Giraffes and baby elephants are my favorites! Can’t wait to read/see more.
Love the details in your photos! The photos are fabulous but I know that the in-person experience was even better!