Year 6 pupils have been learning about conservation and the importance of sustainable tourism. On Thursday 10^th November, the Year 6s travelled to Nairobi to visit the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Here orphaned elephants are looked after until they can be moved to Tsavo National Park and rehabilitated to rejoin wild elephant herds.

The orphans ranged from a few months to almost three years old and they all had their individual personalities. The keepers who are with them twenty-four hours a day, know them by name and the babies follow them willingly.

The elephants put on quite a show while the pupils watched. Some fought noisily over their milk bottles and tried to push each other away. Others just munched contentedly on the branches lying around. Some of the bigger ones became quite boisterous and one in particular kept rushing around trying to knock the others over. The highlight for the pupils was when the little elephants came right up to the rope barrier and let them touch them. They were so much rougher and hairier than they expected!

Pupils then set off to the AFEW Giraffe Centre, where they met a very knowledgeable man called Eric. He explained to them about the conservation programme and about the giraffes. Afterwards the pupils were allowed to feed the giraffe, which was done with great trepidation and excitement.