Close Encounters

Andrew nursing a baby

(Emma) I see the SHELDRICK sign as we pull into a dust road. My heart starts to beat faster and I start to hyperventilate. I have been waiting for this day the second I heard about it.  We are going to meet the baby orphan elephants we adopted a few months ago. The time slows down, almost as if it were trying to taunt me. Finally I see a big green shed as we pull in, I frantically look out the window trying to find an elephant. None there. Then I get out, look around, none there. I cant see any elephants! Then a man comes up to us and says “Follow me.”

My heart beats faster and faster. I walk faster and faster. I need to see these elephants! Closer and closer we get and then I see all of the keepers. I know the elephants must be close! Then the marching group of elephants comes in. I see them. They are the cutest things I have ever seen! When they get closer they start to run. I wish I could say that they ran because they saw us but no; because it was time for their bottle of milk. They all come up and we get to help them. Imagine two liters of milk getting sucked down in 15 seconds. It was amazing! Then the rain came in; but the good thing was that it only happened for five minutes. But the bad thing was that all the elephants were then VERY muddy!

Well, time to play! We go out to the elephants knowing that we are going to get trashed in mud. And I was right. We all get together in one big group of elephants and people. The elephants all rubbing against us. I felt like one of them going for a mud bath! Then when I go over to my elephant, Shukuru, another one came up behind me and I became an elephant sandwich. The mud was everywhere! But even though we all got incredibly dirty and muddy it was an unbelievable experience. And when I left there I made up my mind: elephants are my favorite animal!