Getting Wild

This post is a tough one for me.

I work very hard to defy stereotypes and help people understand the complex cultures of African countries. I get frustrated when people ask me, "How's Africa?" because no one would ask a friend, "How was North America?" after a trip to Phoenix. I've made a huge effort to make sure that my friends and family know that I'm living in a big city and working in an office, not traipsing through the jungle or running away from lions. These African stereotypes frustrate me so much, which is why this post is hard for me. I contributed to the stereotype this weekend. 

I went to see giraffes and elephants.

In my defense, Kenya's tourism industry is a vital piece of its economy, and I wanted to support that industry as much as I could. Tourism in Kenya has been on the decline for several years now due to security threats, and the country is hurting because of it. So, in a certain way, my patronage of the giraffe center and elephant orphanage were contributions to Kenyan economic growth. 

The fact that the animals were super cool and really cute was just an added bonus.

The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife's Giraffe Center does amazing work in conservation, preservation, and animal rehabilitation. When I arrived at the center on Sunday morning, I was just in time for the giraffe's breakfast. I could tell you all about it, but it's much better in pictures:

The entrance sign - notice the latitude. I'm so close to the Equator!

Stacy and Eddie, two of the four giraffes I met on Sunday.

Kelly and Jacques, the other two giraffes I met on Sunday.

Stacy says, "Good morning!"

Stacy was hungry, but Jacques was more into the grass and leaves.

The elevated feeding platform was the perfect height for the giraffes to eat right out of our hands.

After breakfast with Stacy, Kelly, Jacques, and Eddie, it was time to go see the baby elephants. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is an incredible organization that rescues orphaned elephants and rehabilitates them until they can be returned to the wild. Many of the orphans' parents were victims of poaching or other human-caused fatalities. DSWT is taking a sad, desperate situation and turning it around, saving hundreds of elephants over the years.

The elephants are only allowed to come out and play with people for one hour a day because DSWT doesn't want them to get too used to humans. From 11am to noon, the elephant orphanage is completely packed with excited people ready to see some of the cutest babies in the whole world. I had a great time watching the elephants play!

The babies were fed right after they arrived, and they were hungry! See that wheelbarrow full of milk in the corner?

Some of the elephants like to play soccer. They're the jocks of the group.

Just rolling in the mud, as babies tend to do.

This little guy was my favorite.

So many elephants!

I watched the elephants play for a whole hour, and I still wasn't ready to go even when time was up. They are so precious, and they are also very lucky to have made it to the Wildlife Trust. So many beautiful animals are killed every year by humans, and I appreciate that DSWT is trying to undo some of that damage. It was a truly uplifting experience to learn about their organization and share the morning with these beautiful little elephants!

Despite my misgivings about this outing, I definitely glad that I went. The truth is that I will probably never have another opportunity to see these animals up close again, and I learned that the facilities they're in are ethical conservation sites, not scary zoos. I am still committed to discouraging stereotypes about Kenya and Africa in general, but that doesn't mean I didn't have fun this weekend. In fact, I had a great time!