*image taken with a Holga attachment © m.mendelson

Great sadness from The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust with the news that founder Dame Daphne Sheldrick has passed away. 

In 2013, I saw a poached elephant in the North of Kenya with my own eyes.  Upon returning to Nairobi, I took a day to visit DSWT. Watching the orphaned babies play and roll around in the mud under the watchful eyes of their keepers, I was filled with hope again.  While I was waiting for my taxi to return to town, an elephant keeper joined me on a bench outside to wait with me, ensuring I was not alone.  As we chatted in the late afternoon sun, I asked if I could record a bit of our conversation. I regret that I lost my notebook with his name, and hopefully someone will hear this recording and assist me with thanking him for his company and his insight.  

Here is a snippet of that conversation.  

Thank you, Dame Daphne Sheldrick.  Your work lives on.

Find out more about the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust