globetrotting with a conscience - Horse Riding Holidays and Safaris

globetrotting with a conscience

Backward Glance

Each year with my Globetrotting  clients in tow we make our annual pilgrimage to Kenya for the Maasai Mara guided ride. Before we embark on our riding adventure through the pancake-flat plains of the Maasai Mara, we spend a day playing tourists exploring the dusty streets of Nairobi.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust situated in the suburb of Karen is a stand-out experience for my clients. Before leaving Australia, I recommend that my clients adopt an orphaned elephant of their own. The reason for this is that adopters are allowed to visit at feeding time, which is 5pm each afternoon.

I’ve visited the orphanage consecutively for four years now and it still pulls on my heart strings. These wrinkly grey orphans come trumpeting out of the bush after feeding all day and rumble past us and into their individual shelters, only to lift their trunks and slurp down copious amounts of milk. These little fellows need constant care, love, food and affection. Their amazing carers have make-shift beds in the shelters so the baby elephants can be fed in the middle of the night.

My clients have the opportunity to meet their adopted elephant, and it’s a very special moment for all involved. This non-profit organisation has a huge task ahead of them but they’re making a difference one elephant at a time.

I wanted to share these photos with you.

L to R: a cheeky orphan tries to snatch her carer’s walkie talkie; resting a leg; a hairy, inquisitive trunk tries to sniff out my camera.

A hungry orphan greedily gulps down her specially formulated milk.

There is a family of resident warthogs that waddle around the orphanage, sniffing and grunting for food.

One of the carers playing with his little charge. You can see in this photo where the carers sleep. The orphans need a blanket jacket to keep them warm at night.

Right: A cheeky orphan poses for the camera while waiting for his bottle of milk.

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