Love Life and Elephants (originally titled An African Love Story) is the late Kenyan born Daphne Sheldrick’s memoir. This beautiful book is a love story to her country (Kenya), animals (elephants) and men (her soul mate and husband David) that defined and focused her life-long work of caring for orphaned baby elephants.
Woven into the story is a history of Kenya’s Park system, as well as anti-poaching efforts led by Daphne’s late husband, David Sheldrick, in Tsavo.
Throughout Love Life and Elephants Daphne’s dedication to the hundreds of elephants, rhino, warthog, zebra, and antelope she raised over the years is admirable. In the beginning days of the Sheldrick Orphanage Dame Sheldrick drove every three hours, including through the night, to hand feed two baby elephants housed six miles away. She kept up this grueling schedule for a year.
I once heard Daphne say, “Elephants are like us, but better.” After spending hundreds of hours myself among elephants while on safaris across Africa I would have to agree with her.
SHELDRICK ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE
Everyday, visitors from across the world visit the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage outside of Nairobi National Park where they have raised, and successfully returned to the wild, hundreds of orphaned elephants as well as a couple of rhino. It is a must see recommendation I give to all of my safari clients who are visiting Nairobi. The sanctuary offers public visits, as well as smaller more intimate visits for donors.
For animal lovers worldwide, the stories of the unlikely friendships formed among Daphne’s menagerie will make this a ‘can’t put the book down’ read.
Purchase her book from Amazon.
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