Kristin Davis has been a friend and supporter of the DSWT since she played a part in the rescue of orphan elephant Chaimu
Kristin Davis has been a friend and supporter of the DSWT since she played a part in the rescue of orphan elephant Chaimu.
While holidaying in the Chyulu Hills in 2009, Kristin and staff from Kampi Ya Kanzi, spotted an abandoned elephant calf, it was still alone a few days later and so they made the decision to capture the calf. The DSWT was called and the calf, named Chaimu and aged just a year at the time, has been given a second chance at life. Having graduated from the Nairobi Nursery, Chaimu is now at the Ithumba Reintegration Centre where she regularly mixes with wild elephants, learning the skills she will need for her eventual return to the wild.
Passionate about animals and with a childhood love of elephants, Kristin has utilised her status to attract significant media attention for the DSWT and our elephant orphans’ project, for which we are deeply grateful. She has even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show talking about Chaimu and the work of the charity and Kristin regularly uses her Facebook page and Twitter feed to highlight our work and conservation issues, such as the illegal ivory trade.
We were delighted to welcome Kristin back to Kenya in July 2011, accompanied by her friend Ame, and Roz Edwards who captured Kristin’s trip on film. Kristin spent some time at the Nairobi Nursery before heading to Ithumba in Tsavo East, where she and the team booked to spend time at the DSWT operated Ithumba Camp. This camp was built to encourage limited responsible tourism into the Northern Area of Tsavo East, which is a recognised wilderness area and home to one of the DSWT’s two reintegration centres, the other being in Voi.
Thanks to Roz’s camerawork, Kristin’s trip was fully documented and a first short film of this visit can now be enjoyed by all.
Watch a film of Kristin Davis at the DSWT’s Elephant Orphans’ Project July 2011
Thank you Kristin for this lovely and will informed film that will not only help introduce our wildlife protection programmes to a wider audience, but also allows those living abroad to get close to the elephants and perhaps spot ‘their’ foster babies!