Angela Sheldrick and Robert Carr-Hartley both had unique childhoods, and for them growing up riding rhinos seemed quite normal place!  Today that seems hard to contemplate as Black Rhinos, once plentiful, are now fast becoming extinct due to the insatiable demand for rhino horn driven by the Far East.   It is heartwarming to see their children, Taru and Roan, able to enjoy a life just as unique, all these years later. 

 A life with elephants and rhinos, an intimate insight sharing in the lives of unfortunate orphans, of many different species, but being able to watch with wonder and awe as they grow and heal.  Living at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery, and being a part of the daily life and routines of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and the rich diversity that fills each day.   From the ‘ever hopeful’ warthogs and their family dramas, to the opportunistic Nairobi Park lions, regular visitors in search of the pig population, for Taru and Roan life is never dull.   Time is spent outdoors appreciating the wonderment of their surroundings and learning to appreciate nature as she reveals herself splendidly each day in so many unexpected ways, and their message to share with many around the world is take the time to really look and contemplate what beauty lies before you as your own relationship with Nature will most surely enrich you. Let us all do what we can to save this beautiful Earth and those most splendid that share it with us, because together we CAN make a difference.

Photographs by Nick Nichols - National Geographic