I first learned about the incredible work of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya from the actress Kristin Davis. The Trust rescues elephant orphans from the wild and Kristin has fostered some of their orphans herself.
Having spent some time in Botwswana and seeing the magic of elephants up close on safari several years ago, I knew this was a cause I had to get involved in.
Along came Sities. She was born in January 2010 to parents thought to be captured by poachers, as she wandered into camp without her mother - a very uncommon thing - at the age of one month. She was desperate for company and arrived on an auspicious day, the day that the Cites Cop 14 bill was passed prohibiting the sale of ivory stockpiles from Tanzania and Zambia for a period of three years. This was a major victory for Kenya, who had lobbied for years against this horrific practice.
In celebration, she was named Sities, pronounced the same but spelt differently. She settled in nicely with the other orphans in the nursery and was 'adopted' by the older females at the Wildlife Trust as their own.
Since I started fostering her five years ago, she has since been moved from the nursery to the next stage of her introduction back into the wild. The whole process takes fifteen years during which the orphans are given a safe haven.
The Trust has sent me frequent updates on Sities from her caregivers and she has also been the subject of two documentaries...the first on her initial adoption, and the sequel last year on her move from the nursery to the next stage in her journey. She is growing up to be a feisty and independent little girl, much like her foster mum.
So I feel our bond as kindred spirits was meant to be.
It's sobering to know that the elephant species worldwide could be extinct in ten years because of human greed.
Recently, Hong Kong and the Philippines banned the sale of elephant tusks, which is a massive step in the right direction to putting an eventual end to poaching, as Asia is the world's leading consumer of ivory.
Gradually, the world is getting on board.
