Holiday Print Sale
Joy is an act of resistance. Karla Gachet
For the Love of Elephants ©kathykarn
I’m thrilled and honoured to report The Wisdom of Elephants won a bronze medal in the Toronto Camera Club International Salon and For the Love of Elephants received a Blue Ribbon in the International Federation of Photographic Art.
Bring photographic art into your home and support elephant conservation in Kenya all in one step this holiday season. Shop now and save 15% on award-winning images.
This week’s video clip (16 sec) shows the young elephants at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi Park enjoying a mud bath after a bottle feeding. Edwin, the head keeper at DSWT introduces the elephants including Weka, the smallest in the group who is known as one of the naughtiest orphans in the nursery. Elephants, like people have their own personalities. Weka’s rambunctiousness is a positive sign that she is healing from the traumatic loss of her family.
Mud bath at the Sheldrick Nursery ©kathykarn
Weka was a victim of Kenya’s devastating drought in 2022. She was spotted wandering alone and emaciated in Tsavo East National Park by the DSWT aerial patrol. Watch Weka’s heartwarming rescue here. When you witness the dedication of the keepers at the DSWT it is easy to understand the loving attachment that develops between the keepers and their elephant babies.
The story behind the shot: On a visit to the Sheldrick Nursery I noticed a young elephant reach out behind its keeper after a feeding. The keeper responded with a reassuring touch, holding the orphan’s trunk like a parent would naturally reach for the hand of an anxious child. Like us, elephant babies are completely dependent on their mothers in their early years; they require constant care and attention. The healing power of the keepers’ love enables these babies to recover from traumatic loss. These men are conservation heroes, committed to the long journey of saving elephants and reintroducing them back into the wild. When I asked the keeper about his commitment to caring for elephant orphans 24/7 he replied, “I do it for love.” I look for moments that evoke emotion and tell a heart-warming story to inspire viewers to support conservation. I do it for love too.
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