Wild Orphans [Hardcover]

Gerry Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

Wild Orphans tells the emotional tale of eight baby elephants living in the nursery of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphanage at the Nairobi National Park in Kenya, East Africa. It chronicles their story over two long years, including memorable images of the rescue of abandoned baby elephants, their upbringing by dedicated 24-hour surrogate human "mothers," the lessons they learn, and ultimately, their release back into the wild. The stars of Wild Orphans are the "Orphan 8": eight babies who arrived at the orphanage during the summer of 1999, a time of prolonged drought and increased ivory poaching. They are: Natumi - Rescued froma well at just two months old after her mother was killed by hunters, she is the ringleader of the eight and is very possessive of the smaller babies; Icholta - Rescued at six weeks old after being abandoned by her herd. She is small for her age, with soft fuzz on her head, and is very gentle and friendly; Ilingwezi - Rescued at just one month, she was abandoned by her herd after falling into a deep gully. She is very sweet and playful; Idie - Four months old when rescued from a well, Idie grieved deeply for the family that abandoned her. Idie and Ilingwezi are now best friends; Nyiro - Found in a trench, he is sturdy and tough. As the smallest and most out-going of the group, he is a great favorite among the bigger elephants; Salama - Just three or four months old when abandoned by a herd that was fleeing poachers, Salama is tough, confident, and occasionally pushy; Lolokwe - He was rescued after falling into a well at just one month old. It is possible that he, Salama, and Nyiro all share the same father; Laikipia - She was rescued at four months after falling down a well. While Wild Orphans focuses on the adventures of these elephants, the reader will also be introduced to other orphans living in the nursery, their caregivers, older "graduate" elephants who return to teach the babies, and the greater story of the African elephant's plight. Never before has a photographer been granted this kind of access or spent this length of time photographing these orphans of Nairobi. Never before has their return to the wild been documented. Wild Orphans is certainly a landmark in nature photography and journalism, but it is also, perhaps more importantly, a story: One that will warm the soul and pull at the heart-strings of all animal-lovers.

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

This is the inaugural volume in a series of books featuring photographs and stories from the various field sites of GLOBIO's Wild Orphans project. Photojournalist Ellis founded GLOBIO to help children learn about biodiversity by illustrating the relation between an orphaned wild animal and the state of its ecosystem. (Orphaned wildlife are key indicators of the pressures exerted on biodiversity by poaching, habitat loss, toxins, overhunting and wars.) In this book, Ellis documents the story of eight baby elephants brought to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya during the drought-plagued summer of 1999. He chronicles their lives over two years, beginning with haunting photographs of the rescues of the abandoned baby elephants, through their upbringing by dedicated 24-hour surrogate mothers (all African men of almost superhuman patience and generosity), to their release back into the wild. It's an amazing project and a stunning book. More photos and information are available at www.sciam.com

Editors of Scientific American

From Booklist

Author and photographer Ellis had been documenting animal orphanages in Africa when the "Orphan 8" entered his life in 1999. These eight baby elephants arrived at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphanage on the outskirts of Nairobi during an intense drought and increase in ivory poaching. Daphne Sheldrick (who penned the introduction) has pioneered a technique for raising baby elephants and rhinoceroses for eventual return to the wild. It involves 24-hour care and attendance by a dedicated group of caretakers: the little elephants are encouraged, cajoled, stroked, and continuously handled to encourage bonding, for without this bond they would die. The care and concern pictured in Ellis' heartwarming photos must be seen to be believed. The intimate text explains the reasons for many of the techniques used when rearing baby elephants and is often as evocative as the photos. The journey of the Orphan 8 to Tsavo National Park, where they are adopted by Malaika (herself a graduate of the orphanage), completes the story. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Welcome Books; 1 edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941807584
• ISBN-13: 978-0941807586
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, September 8, 2002

By 

Pamela Bloom (Falls Church, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild Orphans (Hardcover)

The photography is amazing and that alone is worth getting this book. However the stories behind each picture and story of each member of the Orphan 8 are extremely touching, and provide a wonderful insight between humans and elephants. It will leave you in awe of the difference the wonderful people at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust make in this endeavor to help save the African Elephant.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating Photographic Essay of Orphaned African Elephants, November 20, 2004

By 

mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Wild Orphans (Hardcover)

Photographer Gerry Ellis spent 2 years with the orphaned elephants of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust at the Nairobi National Park in Kenya in order to document the rescues, daily lives and preparation to return to the wild for these young elephants who have fallen victim to natural and unnatural disasters. In the summer of 1999, prolonged drought and increased ivory poaching brought brought more orphaned baby elephants to the Trust in one season that it had seen in the entire previous decade. Gerry Ellis followed, photographed, and got to know 8 of the young elephants who were one month to one year old when they arrived at the Wildlife Trust. Through more than 100 photographs and accompanying text, we meet the "Orphan 8", learn of the challenges of raising them, observe as the youngsters recover from their injuries and fear, adjust to life at the Trust, develop relationships with one another and with their human keepers, and, after 2 years, move to Tsavo National Park, where they will eventually be released into the wild. An essay by Gerry Ellis introduces each of the book's 6 chapters. Detailed explanations accompany all photographs -not as captions, but full-sized text. I've long been a fan of Gerry Ellis' fine art nature photography, but "Wild Orphans" is fantastic photojournalism and more personal work than I have seen from Ellis before. Ellis' love for this project shows. Admirers of elephants and those concerned with their fate -or that of African wildlife in general- won't want to miss "Wild Orphans".

5.0 out of 5 stars Baby ellies, May 21, 2011

By 

Diane edwards - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wild Orphans (Hardcover)

I couldn't be more pleased. I just love the book. It's like brand new and the price was great.