Daphne and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage : Both domestic and global conservation initiatives, the David & Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and Animal Orphanage is a key player. Founded in 1977, the trust honours the efforts of David Sheldrick, a well-known naturalist who was the founding warden of the Tsavo East National Park in southeast Kenya from 1948 until 1976. It is fully funded by contributions. During your Kenya safari on a sightseeing trip to Nairobi, you will get the opportunity to view the care of orphan elephants and rhinos and discover more about the two main projects of the trust: the Orphan’s Project and the Fostering Program. A globally renowned initiative called The Orphan’s Project saves and rehabilitates rhinos and elephants that have become orphaned as a result of habitat loss and poaching. At Tsavo East National park, hundreds of baby elephants have been hand-raised before being returned to the wild.
In collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Fostering Program funds an elephant nursery in Nairobi National Park, which is run by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, who is recognised for creating a sophisticated milk formulary and gaining a thorough grasp of husbandry. Through its various activities numerous effective de-snaring teams and aerial support staff, the trust has been actively involved in anti-poaching efforts since 1999. These individuals collaborate with wildlife authorities located deep within protected area limits to halt the actions of illegal meat hunters. Working in Tsavo West and East Parks, as well as other ranches and dispersal regions, the trust’s mobile veterinary teams are another significant aspect of its operations.
The David & Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and Animal Orphanage has articles for the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, media outlets, and various other sources, and leading local educational efforts, and disseminates information both locally and internationally in an effort to raise awareness. Trust has been essential in the effort to save elephants and to better understand the complex social and communication patterns of these remarkable pachyderms. Orphan sponsors can visit in the afternoon, while non-sponsors can take the tour in the morning.
Other nearby attractions
The Nairobi National Museum
The Coryndon Museum is named for Sir Robert Coryndon, a well-known patron of the Uganda Natural History Society, was the original name of the Nairobi National Museum. The location was officially opened as the Nairobi National Museum on September 22, 1930, serving as a storehouse for Kenyan history and culture. The gallery honour historical figures like Winston Churchill, Aga Khan, Mahatma Gandhi, and others. Later, Dr Louis Leakey was able to acquire money to extend the museum.
Nairobi Snake Park was introduced to the museum in the 1960s, and later the Kenyan government established new museums in Kisumu, Meru, Kitale, Lamu, and Fort Jesus in Mombasa in 1969. In 1976 archaeology and palaeontology section was added to the Leakey Memorial Building. Along with a tight relationship with the Institute of Primate Research, the expansion proceeded to encompass research programs in ethnography and cultural anthropology in collaboration with the University of Nairobi and Institute of African Studies. To meet the highest standards of excellence, the museum underwent extensive collection expansions and fabrications between 2005 and 2008.
It is enlightening and soothing to schedule a visit to the Nairobi National Museum prior to your kenya safari in Kenya. You will learn about the diversity of Kenya and her people while visiting the art gallery and other exhibits. The site, which is open year-round and offers a serene setting of beautiful botanical gardens along with food and retail options, is situated at Museum Hill, less than two miles from the city centre. The museum’s collections cover the three pillars of culture, nature, and history, and many of the displays are especially kid-friendly. Geology, human origins, natural diversity, Kenyan ecology, and mammalian radiation are all covered in the nature pillar, whereas creativity, life cycles, and cultural dynamism are covered in the culture pillar.
The cycles of life in Kenya are covered by the last pillar, history. The Peace Path, a collection of stones that have been thoughtfully placed over the lush lawn, is one of the museum’s newest attractions. Although the region appears to have no significance at first, it is really marked by a labyrinth, a design that has been utilised to identify a place of prayer, healing, and meditation by many cultures.
The Nairobi Snake Park
The Nairobi Snake Park is a unique herpetological attraction that was established in January 1961.It aim is to conserve and promote the snakes and reptiles that can be found in Kenya. The museum trustees eventually purchased land in front of the museum and along the Nairobi River, which is now used as a botanical garden and site for live snake exhibits. Originally, the snake displays were situated near the entrance to the Nairobi National Museum.
Not only is the Nairobi Snake Park an odd public attraction, but the serene grounds provide a pleasant place to unwind and take in a little bit of Kenya’s unique urban-natural splendour. The park has marine fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and invertebrates, including the Mombasa train millipede, freshwater prawn, giant snail, crayfish, baboon spider among many others that can be viewed during Kenya safari tours in addition to the snake exhibits. The conservation park spearheads numerous other initiatives to save and conserve the animals in addition to the public exhibits. One such initiative is the rescue and rehabilitation program for reptiles that are seized, abandoned, or the target of unlawful collecting.
Karen Blixen Museum
The author of “Out of Africa,” Karen Blixen, came to Nairobi from her native Denmark in 1914 and made her home in the present-day Karen area. Only 600 of the 6000 acres of wooded land she bought were used for her coffee farm, leaving the majority of the natural habitat intact. Karen’s well-known book was released in 1937 after she fled Kenya in 1931. Her home was kept up by the locals until Kenya gained its independence, at which point the Danish government donated it together with the surrounding property. Later, the house used in the movie “Out of Africa” was restored.
Public access to the historic home was granted by the Karen Blixen Museum in 1986. Located at the base of the Ngong Hills, the house is 10 miles from the heart of Nairobi. The home is the highlight of the museum visit, despite the property’s stunning historical setting. The bungalow-style house was built in 1910 and has the original kitchen and furniture, wood panelling, and a red tile roof. To complete the experience of living as a settler in Kenya in the early 1900s, efforts are now being made to repair the coffee plant and the remaining equipment. Guided tours of the museum are available daily, and special events may be hosted there.
