The Elephant Orphanage of Nairobi

"The feeling of respect for all species will help us recognize the noblest nature in ourselves." - Thich Nhat Hanh

We’ve all heard about ethical shopping and maybe in our everyday lives we do make an effort to support organic and eco-friendly products and places. But what happens to our green intentions when we travel?

Travel for me has been all about soaking up experiences, discovering the wonders of the world and having fun. And it still is; but with modern day travel and the Internet making the world ever smaller, I’m beginning to see that we all need to look further than preserving our own patch of grass. What’s going on in one part of the world will ultimately affect us all.  

As consumers of tourism, a billion dollar industry, we yield great power in shaping the industry and its practices.

It was after my trip to Nairobi that the idea of ‘responsible travel’ truly resonated with me. I visited The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and was moved by this organisation that saves orphaned or abandoned baby elephants from the wild and nurses them to health. They shelter the elephants from excessive human contact and food, giving them special formulated milk, a caring environment and the social support of other elephants so that they can recover from their ordeals and thrive in the wild.

The keepers at the orphanage take the elephants on walks, where they leave their scent for the wild elephants. In their own time, through these excursions, the elephants from the orphanage find new families amongst their wild counterparts.

The traumatic tales that happened so early of the baby elephants’ were heart wrenching to hear. Some had had their mother’s killed by poachers in front of them, others had fallen down wells, been attacked by hyenas and the baby rhinoceros living at the orphanage was found guarding the dead body of its mother from vultures.

What makes the plight of these elephants even more emotionally gripping was to learn that elephants have incredible memories, strong family ties and can mourn for lost family members for months.

Fortunately for the animals here, they are now safely in the hands of people who genuinely care and understand about their wellbeing.  

The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage is a wonderful place to support and visit if you are ever in Kenya. You cannot touch, hold, feed or ride the elephants but you can see them at a close quarters being fed by the keepers and bathing in mud pools. Instead of taking away a photo of you riding an elephant, you’ll take away a sense of pride in that you’ve supported an organisation that is making a difference to the wildlife of Africa in the most ethical of ways.

Our support of animal-friendly organisations will allow them to prosper and further benefit their environment and communities. Equally, by not supporting organisations that are neglectful and abusive to animals we can force them to improve their practices or shut down.

Realising that our actions have direct repercussions on the environment is empowering and a stepping stone to change. Whether it’s choosing an eco-friendly lodge on a safari or not buying animal-product souvenirs on a shopping layover, our actions, however small, can make a difference. Next time you’re abroad, why not give a thought to where your money is going; we have the power of responsible travel, so let’s use it!

Extras

§  Before the 1990’s the cruel practice of dancing bears was widespread in Turkey and tourists paid to see these barbaric performances. Due to the publicity created by animal rights groups like WSPA, understanding of this inhumane practice deepened, and tourist’s attitudinal change has largely brought an end to this practice.

§  For more information on how to be a responsible traveller, look at WSPA’s Compassionate Travel Tips. www.wspa.org.au/tips_traveller.asp

§  If you would like to support The David Sheldrick orphanage, visit the website and for $50 USD a year you can adopt an elephant. www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

(Trip from 2009)