Wild Orphans (Hardcover)

by Gerry Ellis (Author) "IN THE SUMMER OF 1997, no rain fell in the north-central bush of Kenya..." (more)
Key Phrases: midday mud bath, little elies, night stockade, Tsavo National Park, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Mishak Nzimbi (more...)

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Welcome Books; 1st 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 (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #867,021 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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 "pcbloom" (Falls Church, VA United States) - See all my reviews

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.

1 of 1 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 100 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

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".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You wont forget it!, June 9, 2003

By	Beth (CA USA) - See all my reviews

Bought this for my niece, she loves it. Beautiful photography.