The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a small flexible charity, established in memory of David Sheldrick, famous Naturalist and founder Warden of Kenya’s giant Tsavo East National Park in which he served from 1948 until 1976.

Since its inception in 1977, the Trust has played an extremely significant and important role in Kenya’s conservation effort. Six Trustees assisted by an Advisory Committee of practical Naturalists with a lifetime experience of African conditions oversee and direct the operations of the Trust.

The orphan elephants and rhinos are just some of the many wildlife commitments the charity is involved in.

The Trust has provided a blueprint for the welfare of animals in captivity, and in the case of elephants, illustrated the sophistication of their communication and their social needs.

It has perpetuated vital field knowledge and experience that would otherwise have been lost, and made it available to all National Parks in East Africa and some beyond.

About Daphne Sheldrick

Dalpne Sheldrick feediingFor over 25 years, from 1955 until 1976, Kenyan born Daphne Sheldrick lived and worked alongside her late husband, David, the famous founder Warden of Kenya’s giant Tsavo National Park. During that time she raised and rehabilitated back into the wild community orphans of misfortune from many different wild species, including Elephants aged two and upwards; Black Rhinos, Buffaloes, Zebra, Eland, Kudu, Impala, Duikers, Reedbuck, Dikdiks, Warthogs and many smaller animals such as civets, mongooses and birds. She is a recognized international authority on the rearing of wild creatures, and is the first person to have perfected the milk formula and necessary husbandry for both infant milk dependent Elephants and Rhinos.

The key to her success has been her life-long experience of wild creatures, an in-depth knowledge of animal psychology, the behavioral characteristics of the different species, and, of course, that most essential component, a sincere and deep empathy. For her work in this field, Daphne Sheldrick was decorated by the Queen in 1989 with an M.B.E., elevated to U.N.E.P.’s elite Global 500 Roll of Honor in 1992, among the first 500 people worldwide to have been accorded this particular honor, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery by Glasgow University in June 2000. In December 2001, her work was honored by the Kenya Government through a prestigious decoration – a Moran of the Burning Spear (M.B.S.)