The Trust, a non-profit organization located in Kenya, is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and reintroduction into the wild of orphaned elephants and rhinos. In 1977, Dame Daphne Sheldrick founded the Trust in memory of her late husband David, a famous British naturalist and Africa’s leading crusader against poaching. The Trust operates an orphaned elephant nursery in Nairobi National Park and two elephant reintegration facilities in Tsavo East National Park. It also fields two mobile veterinary units (in Tsavo and the Masai Mara) and six anti-poaching teams in Tsavo.

Between Absolute Travel Managers Leslie Overton and Sasha Lehman's participation in the NYC 2010 fundraiser, our luxury journey to Kenya donation organized by Daniela Bonanno, and organizing visits to the Trust's Nairobi nursery so clients and staff can meet the baby pachyderms in person, Absolute is very involved with the Trust. Absolute's Noel Gilbert's visit made quite the impact on her: "The Trust gives the elephants a chance to live in the wild and roam free, the way they were intended to." Brooke Garnett adds, "To see the elephant keepers filling in for the orphans’ natural parents is really amazing. Their role isn't just limited to feeding, but more importantly the keepers provide an emotional connection to the elephants, many of whom have lost their parents and need that type of loving connection."

Absolute Travel encourages all of our clients heading to Kenya to visit the Trust in order to deepen their connection to the cause and the country. We are proud to be the link that enables our clients to make a personal connection with the four-legged orphans in person, and know that is the most effective way to help the elephants, essentially building a team of people motivated on their own accord to further the Trust's mission. We also contribute in other ways such donating a deluxe Kenya journey to the Trust's NYC Gala and Absolute staffers Leslie Overton, Noel Gilbert, Brooke Garnett, and Katie Losey have said their goodbyes to traditional gift giving and instead sponsor abandoned elephants when gift-giving time rolls around. Elephants including Kudup, Kibo, Tumaren, Tano, Nchan (who sadly passed away), Kaluma, Tano, Kibo, and Chemi Chemi are all now a part of the Absolute Travel team!