David Sheldrick
Encyclopedia
Major David Leslie William Sheldrick, MBE
(born 23 November 1919, Alexandria, Egypt — died 13 June 1977, Nairobi, Kenya) was a Kenya
n farmer and park warden, in memorium to whom the eponymous David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) was created.
, resettled near Nyeri
and became a coffee farmer at Mweiga.
, David Sheldrick returned to Kenya until World War II
began in 1939. He served in the King's African Rifles
(KAR), seeing active service in Abyssinia
and Burma. He was promoted to Major, the youngest officer in the KAR to achieve this rank.
, Kenya's largest National Park. He had to deal with the problem of armed poachers, which he was forced to combat by utilizing staff from the Game Department and National Parks. He studied every facet of the elephants' lifestyle on the preserve, collecting data on their food sources, and, along with his wife, Daphne
, rescuing and hand-rearing vulnerable elephants, rhinos and antelopes.
Sheldrick helped to develop the Tsavo's infrastructure. There were no roads or buildings when he first arrived. He paved 1,087 kilometres of tourist all-weather roads, 853 miles of administrative roads and 287 kilometres of anti-poaching tracks. He also oversaw the construction of a concrete causeway across the Galana River.
in 1977, aged 57, his widow, Dr. Daphne Sheldrick, established the DSWT in his memory.
Among other activities the trust runs the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, next to the Nairobi National Park
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 23 November 1919, Alexandria, Egypt — died 13 June 1977, Nairobi, Kenya) was a Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n farmer and park warden, in memorium to whom the eponymous David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) was created.
Early years
David Sheldrick, an only child, came to Kenya as an infant with his parents. His father, had served with the British Remounts during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, resettled near Nyeri
Nyeri
Nyeri is a town in situated in the Central Highlands of Kenya Kenya, which was the administrative headquarters of the country's former Central Province...
and became a coffee farmer at Mweiga.
World War II
Educated at the Canford SchoolCanford School
Canford School is a coeducational independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the village of Canford Magna, near to the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, in South West England. The school was founded in 1923. There are approximately 600 pupils at Canford, organised into houses...
, David Sheldrick returned to Kenya until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began in 1939. He served in the King's African Rifles
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
(KAR), seeing active service in Abyssinia
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
and Burma. He was promoted to Major, the youngest officer in the KAR to achieve this rank.
Tsavo
At the age of 28 in 1948, David Sheldrick became the founder Warden of TsavoTsavo
Tsavo is a region of Kenya located at the crossing of the Uganda Railway over the Tsavo River, close to where it meets the Athi River. It is a KiKamba word meaning "a place of slaughter", a reference to the murderous attacks of Maasai morani on Kamba people there...
, Kenya's largest National Park. He had to deal with the problem of armed poachers, which he was forced to combat by utilizing staff from the Game Department and National Parks. He studied every facet of the elephants' lifestyle on the preserve, collecting data on their food sources, and, along with his wife, Daphne
Daphne Sheldrick
Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE is a Kenyan author, conservationist and expert in animal husbandry, particularly the raising and reintegrating of orphaned elephants into the wild for over 30 years....
, rescuing and hand-rearing vulnerable elephants, rhinos and antelopes.
Sheldrick helped to develop the Tsavo's infrastructure. There were no roads or buildings when he first arrived. He paved 1,087 kilometres of tourist all-weather roads, 853 miles of administrative roads and 287 kilometres of anti-poaching tracks. He also oversaw the construction of a concrete causeway across the Galana River.
Legacy
After Sheldrick's untimely death from a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1977, aged 57, his widow, Dr. Daphne Sheldrick, established the DSWT in his memory.
Among other activities the trust runs the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, next to the Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park is a national park in Kenya. Established in 1946, the national park was Kenya's first. It is located approximately 7 kilometres south of the centre of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city, with only a fence separating the park's wildlife from the metropolis. Nairobi's skyscrapers...
.