January • 2022
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Behind the Lens: Ami Vitale on Capturing Beauty and Healing in Kenya without talking about nature. Shaba was angry and aggressive when she arrived at the sanctuThere is a special kind of healing ary, neither ready nor willing that comes from fostering positive to accept the help of humans. relationships with nature. It took a long time for Vitale For Ami Vitale, there is also im- and the women at Reteti to be accepted into Shaba’s herd and to mense beauty in capturing those relationships in photos and films. build a trusting relationship with her—but when they finally did, Healing and empowerment something amazing happened. can often go hand in hand. The Samburu women in Kenya are Shaba took on the role of the mother. When new orphans pulling inspiration from one would arrive, Shaba was drawn particularly powerful female: to their scent. She would be Shaba, a rescued elephant at there to welcome them, care for Reteti Elephant Rescue. At just a year old, Shaba witnessed her them, and teach them how to be wild elephants. At a young age, mother being shot by poachers. she became a supportive figure Traumatized and alone, Shaba for the newly rescued calves and was taken into the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, the first helped Reteti nurse more than 30 Indigenous-owned and run elephants back to life. In partnership with Reteti conservation initiative, focusing on the rescue, rehabilitation, Elephant Sanctuary, Vitale and re-wilding of orphaned and released a short film titled Shaba, abandoned elephants. her second short film spotlighting For Vitale, Shaba’s story gave the incredible work done by her a refreshed look into the wild Reteti. The film became available animal. “I couldn’t tell Reteti’s for viewing online on July 2nd story without telling the story of and is still available for viewing Shaba. She taught them how to with a donation of $10 to Reteti do their work,” she explained. at: amivitale.com/product/shaba. Vitale’s work as a photograIn celebration of World Elephant pher and filmmaker has taken Day, the TreadRight Foundation’s travel partners, African Travel, her to more than 100 countries where she witnessed firsthand Inc. (ATI) and Lion World Travel heartbreak, but also the resilience (LWT), both safari outfitters people have. She has documented who partner with the sanctuary, war zones, environmental stories, hosted a virtual screening and live and wildlife in hopes that her Q&A with Vitale. The funds from work will empower others to ticket sales went directly to Reteti, make a difference. helping to purchase food, beds, Her passion stems from namilk, medical supplies, and more ture—striving to tell stories about for the elephants in their care. the human condition and its con- ATI and LWT guests can visit the nection to the natural world. She sanctuary on their Captivating centers her work around the belief Kenya and Experience Kenya that you can’t talk about humanity safaris. They both offer a ALLIE MURRAY AND RAYE MOCIOIU
sustainable MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, where travelers are given a behind-thescenes tour of the sanctuary and meet the women who are breaking barriers while taking care of these orphaned animals. Both brands will donate two bedtime blankets and three bottles of milk for every couple that books trips featuring Reteti in 2022.
women. The keepers shared that it was difficult to prove that they could rehabilitate these orphans and rewild them, and Shaba played a pivotal role in making that process a reality. Through her work with the notfor-profit foundation, TreadRight, Vitale advocates for wildlife conservation and strives to tell stories of animals around the world through travel and photography. The project is not just chang“The elephants are helping to ing attitudes about elephants; empower the women at Reteti. it is changing attitudes about Women are transforming how women too. they relate to the wild and the Tourism in Africa helps uplift connections the next generathe economy—now more than tion has with nature. It’s a ever amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has ultimatereciprocal relationship, they are all helping and teaching ly halted tourism worldwide. each other,” Vitale said. Through assistance from African Travel, Inc. and sister brand Lion World Travel, TreadRight supports more than 60 projects worldwide. Elephants have intricate They are also the architects behind social structures and are said to value their families more than MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences, which are conscious most animals, forming strong, intimate bonds that last a lifetime. travel experiences available on Kenyan safaris, South Africa’s natElephants are known to mourn the death of their loved ones, and ural wonders, deserts of Namibia, mothers have been seen grieving and so much more. Proceeds from ATI and LWT’s visits directly benfor stillborn calves. They travel in herds composed efit Reteti and help them continue of females and led by an older, their work, empowering elephants experienced matriarch. and women alike. Being the oldest, she has the For the Samburu women, knowledge that will ensure the Reteti became a place where they herd’s survival in times of hardship could show the power women and teach them how to protect hold. The sanctuary is run by themselves from danger. a team of women and men— At two years old, Shaba made up of the first-ever women became the first matriarch of the elephant keepers in Africa. Reteti’s Reteti herd. founder Katie Rowe explained In Shaba, Vitale shares that in a feature with Conservation watching Shaba step into the International that women in role of matriarch was a source of Africa didn’t think there was a empowerment for the Samburu place for them in animal care.
Reteti helped uplift them and make the space for them. “Now, the success of these women elephant keepers is unlocking new possibilities, setting a powerful example for young girls hoping to pursue their dreams,” the article reads. “It’s also changing how the community relates to elephants. Schoolchildren who have never seen an elephant before or who were afraid of elephants visit Reteti and experience these elephants up close, and they realize they can grow up to be a veterinarian or elephant keeper.” Empowerment also breeds innovation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the powdered milk used by the sanctuary became difficult to keep in supply. One of the keepers discovered that they could use goat’s milk instead, and source it from a local, woman-owned farm. This way, the money used to feed the elephants would stay local and, in turn, support more women. Shaba and her herd have since safely connected with a herd of wild elephants, but her legacy lives on at Reteti. Vitale shares that through Shaba and the keepers at Reteti, women are transforming how they relate to the wild and the connections the next generation will have with animals. As responsible travelers, we must respect the places we visit so that future generations can do the same. Like elephants, the connections we forge on our travels become the memories that stay with us long after the trip is over. “Instead of checking a box off a bucket list, responsible travel is about the bonds we create,” says Vitale. © DANA ALLEN
CAPTIVATING KENYA— AFRICAN TRAVEL, INC. & EXPERIENCE KENYA— LION WORLD TRAVEL Guests craving a meaningful and enriching safari experience can soak up the best of East Africa with African Travel, Inc.’s nine-day “Captivating Kenya” journey or Lion World Travel’s nine-day “Experience Kenya” safari. Both safari outfitters are known for their expertise, esteemed service, and exceptional luxury safari experiences. These itineraries begin in Nairobi, where guests are welcomed before arriving at their boutique lodge at the edge of Nairobi National Park. Following a day enjoying a morning game drive and afternoon touring the city, guests take flight as they head to the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya where they spend the next four days staying at the stunning Sarara Treehouses. Travelers enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience
on a visit to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Kenya’s first community-owned and run elephant orphanage, where they partake in a behind-the-scenes tour with an elephant keeper and watch the elephants play in the mud. Another MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience awaits as guests are immersed in the culture of the Samburu people, where they discover their history and culture and how this semi-nomadic pastoralist tribe co-exists with wildlife. Onwards, guests fly to the Maasai Mara where they stay at the Governors’ Il Moran Camp in a luxurious tented camp for the remainder of their journey. Home to the most diverse concentration of wildlife in Africa today, guests embark on daily game drives accompanied by expert rangers in search of the Big Five (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and African buffalos). The journey concludes with a final morning spent on safari before departing for Nairobi.
