It Takes a Village to Raise an Elephant
How do you care for an orphaned elephant? Patiently, because healing for a trauma survivor is slow at first. Lovingly in a community of safety, because without love and family elephants fail to thrive.
Orphan elephants need specially formulated milk every three hours. Each elephant drinks $1,008 of milk a month. .
Raising an infant orphaned elephant isn’t a one-person job. It takes a team of dedicated and knowledgeable people and a host of outside supporters. The keepers at Reteti in Northern Kenya, Africa’s first Indigenous owned and managed elephant sanctuary, are committed to the long road to health and healing of each orphan that comes into their care. This is a 24/7 commitment over several years. A baby elephant requires an elephant sized bottle of specially formulated milk every three hours for the first few years of its life.
Here’s a gift that keeps on giving! Vital Impacts invites you to be part of the Reteti village of support by purchasing a beautiful photographic print.
This week’s Flash Sale features 5 photographers who celebrate the universal appeal of elephants. From iconic moments of an elephant swimming in the ocean to the routine evening commute with the herd, elephants stand as symbols of community, compassion, and resilience. Regrettably, numerous elephants endure profound losses due to human activities. With the help of the photographers in our print sale, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) is working to change this.
These fine art prints are available in 8x12 for $100 this week ONLY – Dec. 5 - 12. All proceeds go towards helping 13 orphaned elephants at Reteti return to wild herds.
Photographers in order:
Jody MacDonald - Rajan Swimming. Permanent Collection @jodymacdonaldphoto
Kathy Karn - The Wisdom of Elephants @kathykarnphotography
Annie Griffiths - Elephant Mother and Calf at Sunset.
@anniegriffithsphotography
David Chancellor - A herd of elephants moves through forests of mopane and apple leaf at sunset, northern Botswana. @chancellordavid
Georgina Goodwin - The Moment. @ggkenya
15 year old Samburu girl Naltwasha LeRipe meets orphaned baby elephant Shaba at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Samburu’s Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya, September 20, 2017. The girl and the elephant interacted naturally for just a few frames then the moment was gone.
Direct link to the flash sale.
Reteti is dependent on donations to do their work. Listen to these amazing keepers as they expressed their gratitude Giving Tuesday.
Explore all the exquisite works available by visiting Vital Impacts Print Sale.
A big thank you to @CansonInfinity @PaperandInkStudio and @ThePrintSpace! #elephants #conservation #fineart #fundraiser #wildliferescue #photography #printsale
Watch the launch video here.