Reteti Elephant Sanctuary understands elephants, and their place in this world as a keystone species. Their story is worth making headlines again. It never hurts to have a renowned musician on one’s side. Dave Matthews is a native of the African continent for which he has shown such care. And that caring nature shows with every elephant saved and released back into the wild by Reteti. Thank you, Dave Matthews! Well done, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary!
“Community – Wildlife – Transformation The Story of Reteti Elephant Sanctuary”
Dave Matthews, Narrator: (Music) “Welcome to northern Kenya. This is the home of the Samburu people. Here I am surrounded by ancient footsteps.”
(Dave & Robert out driving in land rover vehicle) “Robert is a Samburu warrior and my friend. He is taking me to Reteti, the first ever community run elephant sanctuary in all of Africa.” (Music: ‘Mother Africa’)
“Twenty years ago Robert’s homeland had lost much of its wildlife. Ivory poachers had decimated the elephant population.”
“But these sentient giants are nature’s great engineers. By voraciously eating the trees and brush they kept the land open and grassy. Without the elephants other wildlife, people and livestock all suffered.”
“At first, the Samburu turned a blind eye to the poaching because they were afraid. But in Robert’s lifetime he has witnessed a sea of change.”
“Realizing the role these giants play the Samburu are now the elephants protectors. Day and night Samburu Rangers guard against poachers and at Reteti they raise orphans for release back into the wild.”
“For me, this story is hopeful and all over the world wildlife needs us. The instant we help, the natural world pays us back a thousand times over.”
“This is a story about how deeply connected we are to each other and to the earth. It belongs to all of us.” (Dave Matthews plays his guitar singing “We will sing to all you people of the world, come and see, come and see. All you people around the world this is why your heart beats to this, the rhythm of Africa. Yeah, the rhythm of Africa…”)
“I hope you will consider joining me in supporting these communities. Locally lead conservation efforts like this one are needed all around the world. We need to empower communities and ensure they benefit from the nature and the wilderness that they help protect.”
Source (1)
“PROTECT ELEPHANTS Support Reteti Elephant Sanctuary” (3) (4)
Conservation International
Support/Donate to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (2)
Images: Transcribed & Images from ‘Dave Matthews Visits Reteti Elephant Sanctuary’ 2018 CC YT video (1)
Sources:
(1) Creative Commons Video ‘Dave Matthews Visits Reteti Elephant Sanctuary’ by Dave Matthews Band https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BllKY_g-PnM
(2) https://www.reteti.org/donate
(3) Reteti Elephant Sanctuary “Africa’s first community owned elephant sanctuary situated in Northern Kenya. We rescue, to release.” https://www.reteti.org
(4) https://www.conservation.org/blog/to-save-elephants-it-takes-a-village
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Elephant Spoken Here twitter @ESHelephants
Image: by Dave Matthews Band CC Video:’Dave Matthews Visits Reteti Elephant Sanctuary’ (1)