Daphne Sheldrick is the first person ever to have successfully hand-reared newborn elephants. Her deep empathy and understanding, her years of observing Kenya's rich variety of wildlife and her pioneering work in perfecting the right husbandry and milk formula have saved countless elephants, rhinos and other baby animals form certain death.
In this heart-warming and poignant memoir, Daphne shares her amazing relationships with a host of orphans, including her first love, Bushy, a liquid-eyed antelope; Ricky-Ticky-Tavey, the little dwarf mongoose; Gregory Peck, the busy buffalo weaver bird; Huppety, the mischievous zebra; and the majestic elephant Eleanor, with whom Daphne has shared over forty years of great friendship.
But this is also a magical and heart-breaking human love story between Daphne and David Sheldrick, the famous Tsavo Park warden. It was their deep and passionate love, David's extraordinary insight into all aspects of nature and the tragedy of his early death that inspired Daphne's vast array of achievements. Most notably the founding of the world-renowned David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the orphans' nursery in the Nairobi National Park, where Daphne continues to live and work to this day.
Encompassing not only David and Daphne's tireless campaign for an end to poaching and for conserving Kenya's wildlife, but about all their ability to engage with the human side of animals and their rearing of the orphans expressly so they can return to the wild. An African Love Story is alive with love, compassion and humour, providing a rare insight into the life of one of the world's most remarkable women.
