“Daphne was a national treasure and a conservation icon. Her legacy is immeasurable and her passing will reverberate far and wide because the difference she has made for conservation in Kenya is unparalleled.”– Angela Sheldrick, Daphne Sheldrick’s Daughter and CEO of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
In her 83 years with us, Daphne touched countless lives — from generations of elephants who are thriving today through her trailblazing conservation work, to people all over the world who drew inspiration from her. She is testament to the difference that a single person can make, and her legacy lives on as we continue to protect and preserve wildlife in her memory.
Below, we invite you to share your own story of how Daphne touched your life.
Coco and Mzee
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear Pip, I read the sad news about Daphne with huge sadness. Dad and I send our love and our thoughts are with you and all the glorious extended family we visited those few years ago. I was only looking at a picture of a young Pip and Coco watching Bunty giving birth with your beautiful Mum in the bush below the house in Tsavo East last week. Such happy memories… We send our love and hope you had a similarly glorious send off as I sadly did with my Mum last year. Malika playing at full blast at the end of the service!
Hank Goldman
Posted 14 April 2018
Please forward my heartfelt condolences to Africa and Daphne’s family. What a magnificent lady. I was privileged to meet her on three occasions and have visited the orphanage often. She was, and is, a hero to me. Her love for her beloved eles has inspired me, in my own small way, to contribute to the well being of these beautiful, intelligent, caring animals. I weep for what man is doing to them. And I cry that one of their great champions is no longer here to raise her voice on the behalf of all four legged creatures. With immense respect and love
Xavier Marie
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear Angela , My most sincere condolences to you and your family . I imagine the immense hole created by the disappear of Daphnee . For sure Daphnee have meet your father and join as a queen the paradise of elephant . We are all sharing your sadness . You have now the wonderful mission to continue her amazing work . You will be very strong for that .
Nicola Bayliss
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear Family, two legged and four legged. I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of the most influential women of my generation. Many years ago I watched a programme called The Orphans of Tsavo, it left a great impression on me. I have closely followed the story since then. The future of elephants is depressing but without Dame Daphne’s work, it would be unthinkable. Thank you
Nancy O'Neill
Posted 14 April 2018
I wasn’t sure where to send this but wanted my fondest memories of Daphne to be shared with those who loved her. When I was a little girl growing up in California, all my friends wanted horses. Not me, I wanted a baby elephant. My rather unreasonable parents found this request slightly unusual, but they did try to indulge my dream. Every year my shelves filled up with stuffed and pottery elephants, a collection that continued into my adulthood. In the late 1980’s, I returned to Nairobi, Kenya for a second time to join my husband Michael. Mike was already entrenched with Daphne and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, helping with fund raising and the rescue of orphaned elephants and loving every minute. I’ll never forget going out to meet Daphne for the first time, experiencing my first mud wallow, blowing in Olmeg’s trunk. I was in awe of Daphne, nervous and star struck, but she quickly put me at ease. Some of my fondest memories are of the hours we spent on the veranda sipping tea with Daphne as she regaled us with stories of an endless list of orphaned animals she had saved. Not only did I have the opportunity to play with baby elephants, I got to know Sam and Amboselli, the two rhinos who wandered the garden, I held a baby gazelle and stroked a newborn baby rhino. And….I got to spend time with one of the most amazing women I have ever known. Who gets that lucky? In 1992 I presented Daphne with a little gift I had made for her, an illustrated children’s story called “Olmeg and His Friends”. I had so much fun writing it and creating the very amateur drawings that were intended for Daphne’s eyes only. So you can imagine my surprise when she had the trust print the book with my own drawings, and began selling it to tourists who came for the mud wallow. Even more surprising, Swiss Air bought the book to give out to children on their flights. So not only did Daphne make my baby elephant dream come true, she gave me my 15 minutes of fame! Daphne, I am envisioning you walking barefoot through the bush, followed by a herd of mixed orphaned animal children, as you make your way toward your beloved David. Rest in peace, Mike and I will never forget you and will always love you.
Niti
Posted 14 June 2018
Dear Nancy,
I was one of those children who received your book from Swiss Air! It had a huge impact on me and on my worldview. In fact I’ve been trying to find a copy online for a few years now– my google searching led me to this post about Ms. Sheldrick and your comment. I will keep trying to find a copy, but in the meantime, thank you, and please know that your work found it’s way into my 7-year old heart and has stayed in my consciousness more than 2 decades later.
Niti
Anne Wells
Posted 14 April 2018
Your work has been an inspiration to many. I visited the nursery many years ago and of all the places I traveled in this world this was the place that remained closest to my heart. It is the one that I keep telling people about as it touches the heart in our troubled times. Many thanks and blessings.
Mike Bound
Posted 14 April 2018
On behalf of the Bound family, may I express my deepest sadness and pass on our sincere condolences regarding the sad loss of Dame Daphne Sheldrick. She was truly an inspiration to us all and undertook such immensely valuable work on behalf of everyone. My wife, who sadly passed away 15 months ago was a huge fan and we certainly therefore understand the pain you are all now suffering. Please take comfort from Daphne’s extraordinary life’s work and continue to build upon her legacy. A matriarch in every sense of the word. Our deepest sympathies.
Deborah Kilcollins
Posted 14 April 2018
We at Big Five wish to offer Angela, her family and your entire organization our deepest sympathy on the loss of such as remarkable woman. I also wanted to share with you our small tribute. I personally support DSWT and so does my company, Big Five Tours & Expeditions, and we will continue to do so. The below email has links to two pages to honor Daphne’s indomitable spirit.
Malcolm Bennett
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear Angela, family and all, It is with great sadness I read your news of the passing of your very special Mum, Daphne. As you said an incredible Mum that I feel a great debt of gratitude to the fantastic work that without your Mum may not have happened. Approximately a week ago I watched the video “My Wild Affair” the heartbreaking story of Aisha who your Mum fostered and the intense love and bond that was formed between them which tragically had such a very sad ending. It moved me to tears and sadness. However it also shone a bright light on the beautiful human qualities of that your mother possessed. Even after the passage of a many years your mother when talking about lovely Aisha became very emotional and tearful. Out of this tragedy came some good an understanding and knowledge that subsequently saved many and is continuing to save elephants. In my eyes you are angels and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the fantastic work that you all do to save and protect wild life. I was born in Nairobi and lived at Kibwezi. Many years later I married Brenda and we had a son Robert, years later I lost Brenda to cancer at 42 years old. I do understand that deep pain and sense of loss that you all must be feeling. I want you to know that there are many including me outside your family and friends that are also feeling that pain and sense of loss for an outstanding woman called Daphne Sheldrick. Your Mum has left this legacy that you are all part of which I am in no doubt you will build upon and continue. I will make a donation to the Trust as I have before and will continue to do. Please pass on my heartfelt condolences and very best wishes to all concerned and involved in your fantastic cause during this very sad and difficult time. Unfortunately I never met your mother and yet I feel that I know this very special human being. RIP – Pumzika kwa amani Daphne.
Richard
Posted 14 April 2018
To all Daphne’s family. I heard with great sorrow of Daphne’s passing and i extend my deepest sympathies to you all. I first met Daphne in 2000 when, as Patron of Care for the Wild, I became involved in the Ithumba project. Great times. I had the real privilege of spending the best part of a day driving down to Voi with Daphne; I learnt so much about her, her work and the wildlife during that time; on another occasion a flight that stopped somewhere for lunch in the bush. Such a special time that I was granted to spend with her. I cannot believe any person has or will make such an impact on the lives of elephants as Daphne undoubtedly did. I would have loved to spend just one more morning on the verandah with Daphne listening to her tales and watching the orphans. A great woman of our time, a lovely person and a gifted storyteller. She will be missed.
BOSKYS TEAM
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear Family, staff and friends of Daphne Sheldrick, We at Boskovic are deeply sorry and saddened to hear about the loss of Daphne. Please accept our most sincere and heartfelt condolences on this difficult moment. Her passion towards conservation was truly remarkable and it was an honor for us to work so closely with her towards supporting her life’s work. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Daphne’s family and the entire David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust team.
Marcella Kikwai
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear DSWT Family, We are deeply saddened by the loss of our Matriarch Dame Daphne Sheldrick. Her tireless contribution to the conservation of Kenyan wildlife and establishment of the Elephant Orphanage will leave a legacy and will continue to inspire and change the world for generations to come. We at Halkin Safaris are thinking and praying for the DSWT Family.
Jennifer Klein
Posted 14 April 2018
Thank you for all you do. I know I have donated and seem to have two different accounts for sponsoring Kithaka. Which I am happy to do. I wish I wasn’t so far away although I am there in spirit. I know my contributions are small but they come from my heart. Thank you.
Ursula Stolzenberg
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear Angela Sheldrick, ich bin sehr traurig vom Tod Daphne Sheldricks zu hören. Sie hat Wunderbares für Kenia und besonders für meine geliebten Elefanten geleistet. Um so mehr bin ich froh, dieses Jahr eine Patenschaft für Naipoki übernommen haben um die Fortsetzung der Arbeit von Daphne zu unterstützen. Bedanken möchte ich mich auf diesem Wege auch bei allen Mitarbeitern und Helfern des Wildlife Trust für ihre Arbeit und die Liebe, die sie den Elefantenbabys zukommen lassen, was ich im März dieses Jahres selbst in Voi erleben durfte. “Dear Daphne, thank you very much and Rest in Peace” with great sadness
Jennifer and Abbey Caines
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear Angela and family, how sad we are to hear of Daphne’s death, such a wonderful woman, we had the pleasure of meeting her when we visited a few years ago. We sponsor 2 elephants for our grandchildren, Jesse and Ollie Butcher. We love hearing of the wonderful work you all do. Inspirational. Daphne will be sadly missed by all but as you say what a wonderful legacy she has left and a wonderful family to support her lifelong efforts.
Jan & Bob McGowan
Posted 14 April 2018
Dear Angela & family, and all the team, We were very saddened to hear of the passing of the amazing Dr Dame Daphne. We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to you all on your loss. Unfortunately, we never got to meet her, living so far away, but felt we have known her and indeed all of you over the many years we have been fostering our gorgeous babies Barsilinga and Lentili, and our late darling Shimba and baby Shujaa. We are sure that Daphne can rest in peace knowing that the fate of all her beautiful four legged friends has now been left in your passionate, capable and caring hands. You all do an amazing job, and we can’t thank you enough for all you do to protect our beautiful eles. Keep up the great work, and our thoughts are with you all at this sad time. We have all lost an absolute legend. With deepest sympathy
Maria Cowan
Posted 14 April 2018
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Daphne, she will be sorely missed. She was indeed “one of a kind” and irreplaceable. What an incredible woman. I am grateful her work will carry on. With my deepest condolences
Beatrice Clarke
Posted 14 April 2018
Well we were so sad on reading your last mail but in a way we are so relieved to see that all her hard work and long life passion will go on. Some years ago we were lucky enough to meet Daphne in Nairobi and we still treasure our little chat with her : some people should be immortal and Daphne was one of them.
Kind wishes, Beatrice and Derek Clarke
Jean Allen
Posted 14 April 2018
Sad news but what a tremendous contribution and legacy for the whole world. Best wishes for following in her footsteps.
Linda D Harwood
Posted 14 April 2018
Sorry for your loss. She was an amazing woman an inspiration a great cause. May she find peace comfort. Her elephant friends must be mourning also.