Shaba – A Elephant’s Story of Healing, Resilience and Leadership
“Shaba had witnessed the death of her mother being shot by the poachers. She was very traumatized. It is so sad to see them suffering. As Samburu the elephant, they guide us the way. It is really these elephants helping us. I know I will cry but we can’t deny her the right to go back to the wild. Before this, our community thinks that we cannot do this hard work to change a wild animal. Shaba has always been our leader and she is a female which makes me very proud.”
– from the trailer of Ami Vitale’s film Shaba
The orphaned elephants pressed themselves eagerly against the wire gate at the entrance to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary compound. As soon as the gate swung open, they raced in trumpeting with excitement
Each elephant made a beeline to a keeper who stood ready with a big bottle of specially formulated milk. I stood on a viewing platform, a line of posts separating me from the young elephants, guzzling their milk in record time.
When the meal was over the elephants closed in for hugs and attention from their human caregivers.
As I watched a trunk snaked up the wall probing the air in front of me. This was Shaba, the first orphan matriarch of the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. I reached out and caressed the trunk. With amazing dexterity, she explored the beads on my bracelet lifting each strand with care.
I chose to visit Sarara Camp in Northern Kenya, after reading photographer Ami Vitale’s National Geographic story about the launch of the sanctuary in 2017. Reteti is the first community owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa and the first elephant orphanage to employ women as keepers. Not only are they saving elephants, Reteti is creating employment for women and modeling new roles for young girls.
“The orphaned elephants that are cared for by the Samburu community, are symbols of a new wave of thinking about wildlife and the environment, that goes far beyond traditional conservation methods, and dives deeper into the core value of what nature represents.”
– Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
Tragically, elephants are orphaned due to poaching, human wildlife conflict or a terrible accident. When they come to Reteti they are suffering deeply from the trauma they endured. Many of the babies show signs of PTSD – such as anxiety, depression, and hyper vigilance. Like humans, they need love, attention and companionship to heal. At Reteti, the keepers and the other orphans provide a safe environment for healing.
In the wild a group of elephants is led by an older female. The matriarch is the leader and wise teacher who makes choices for the whole group to ensure their survival. Who would play this role for the orphans at Reteti? Some of the babies were so young and vulnerable. Young Shaba, one of the first orphans at the sanctuary, stepped into the role of matriarch and led the way.
Ami Vitale has released an inspiring film about Shaba. Shaba taught her two-legged and four-legged community about facing fear and learning to trust again. Her story is one of love and our connection to all of life around us. I’m happy to support Ami’s work, she is a friend and mentor who fights tirelessly for conservation and animals in East Africa.
Watch the trailer for Shaba here.
If you stream the film online now until World Elephant Day on August 12th, your ticket will be a direct donation to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary: buying milk, blankets and medicines to support the baby elephants and the people who have committed their lives to protecting them.
Go to shabafilm.org to watch today and please share with your friends!
Support Conservation
All proceeds from the sale of the tshirt below go to the Retiti Elephant Sanctuary this week.