A Romanian in Africa

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was founded in june 1977, after the death of David Sheldrick, one of the most famous naturalists that lived and worked in East Africa. The trust is one of the most important watch-dogs on wildlife affairs in Kenya if not the most important of all! Its main mission is to provide veterinary assistance to elephant and rhino babies who have been abandoned by their parents or whose parents have been killed either by other animals or by poachers. Since the beginning, the trust has developed a special milk formula that is perfect for what the baby animals need. Elephants are fed every three hours during the day and rhinos every four hours.

Visiting hours are 11 to 12 in the morning. Why can you visit the trust just for one hour every day? Because all baby elephants are kept in the Nairobi National Park throughout the day and brought to the centre just for one hour. Basically, of you arrive at any other time, the baby elephants are in the park and cannot be spotted.

Since 1987 the trust has helped more than 80 elephants return into the wild. The process is simple: a baby elephant is brought to the trust and then he/she lives in a heard of ten baby elephants. A foster human parent then follows him/her at all times. The guardian even sleeps with the calf, pats him, shows him love and feeds him whenever the calf requires more milk. The guardians shift from one calf to another so that baby elephants do not get attached to one person. If one elephant becomes attached with one particular guardian, when he/she leaves for holidays the baby elephant is prone to physiological problems that will trigger physical problems. Baby elephants do tend to suffer from depression!

A recent study has confirmed that elephants have a similar brain structural to that of humans. Their brain activity is far more complex than that of most animals and elephants have a far better memory than humans. That is why for example a baby elephant will remember the death of their parents and maybe the face of the killer for many months, even years. This is why when baby elephants come to the trust they are traumatized and experience severe psychological problems that are only addressed in time.

Each of the elephant at the trust has a name and is being fed in the same spot every day when they come and interact with people. Most of them are very gentle and will come and let you pat them, play with them and take pictures. Never crouch down though because they could feel insecure by the sudden “drop in altitude” and try to push you away, with their tromps, which can be quite unexpected and uncomforting.

The nice guide we have at the centre also tells us that elephants even live as long as humans. In their infancy they also love toys like we used to when we were kids. Elephant babies are punished by people and other elder elephants when they are “testing the boundaries” but physical violence is never used. Humans use the tone voice and the accusing of a finger while elder elephants seclude the wrongdoer for a short period of time which is supposed to be the worse that a heard could do to one of its members (elephants are very insecure animals!)

Each elephant will eventually be exposed to bigger herds and other wild elephants which will make them love the company of other elephants more than that of humans. This will eventually result is a young elephant’s decision to go back to the wild. In time, young elephants get used to the new life and many even forget humans (let’s say after ten years.)

Some of the elephants that can be met at the center in 2008 are Emily, Natumi or Thoma. Generally there will be ten elephants brought in front of the visitors so hopefully one of these three will be among them.

There is a suggested donation in the amount of 300 shillings per person at the entrance. I think it’s really worth it for one hour of socializing with ten baby elephants. It’s really fun.

Just remember that the following Nairobi attractions are pretty close one from another in the suburbs of the city: the Nairobi National Park & the Nairobi Safari Walk (one place), The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the Bomas of Kenya and the Giraffe Center. I recommend leaving a day for all these attractions. They are 10-15 kilometers away from the city center and the infrastructure is pretty bad. So doing all of these in one day is the best thing to do!

This should be your second stop after the Nairobi Safari Walk, for no other reasons but the location of the attraction.

To see more pics, play this widget: