• Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) meets Nadasoit, an orphaned elephant At Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e). Nadasoit was rescued from a well and picked up by a helicopter when she was about 2 weeks old. Today, she’s a plump big, girl and looks after all the younger, more fragile orphans that arrive to the sanctuary. © Ami Vitale.
    Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) meets Nadasoit, an orphaned elephant At Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e). Nadasoit was rescued from a well and picked up by a helicopter when she was about 2 weeks old. Today, she’s a plump big, girl and looks after all the younger, more fragile orphans that arrive to the sanctuary. © Ami Vitale.
  • Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) takes a selfie with “Shorty” the reticulated orphaned giraffe and Ami Vitale, oblivious, gets a kiss from him instead at @sararacamp. The tallest living land animal, a giraffe stands between 4.5 and 5 metres tall – and almost half that height is neck.
    Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) takes a selfie with “Shorty” the reticulated orphaned giraffe and Ami Vitale, oblivious, gets a kiss from him instead at @sararacamp. The tallest living land animal, a giraffe stands between 4.5 and 5 metres tall – and almost half that height is neck.
  • Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) meets “Shorty” or "Fupi" in Swahili, one of the orphaned reticulated #giraffes being cared for by the team at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) where he will be rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Sarara has already returned three giraffes to the wild recently but each time a new orphan arrives, out of the blue, the former orphans, who are all grown up and living in the wild, come back to the sanctuary to greet the new orphans as soon as they arrive. They must have some way of communicating and knowing these babies are there. © Ami Vitale.
    Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) meets “Shorty” or "Fupi" in Swahili, one of the orphaned reticulated #giraffes being cared for by the team at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) where he will be rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Sarara has already returned three giraffes to the wild recently but each time a new orphan arrives, out of the blue, the former orphans, who are all grown up and living in the wild, come back to the sanctuary to greet the new orphans as soon as they arrive. They must have some way of communicating and knowing these babies are there. © Ami Vitale.
  • Samburu Robert Lemaian and his friends greet Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) as he arrives at #Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy. These men are leaders in the community-led conservation movement in northern Kenya which is changing the landscape for wildlife here and around the world. Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy is home to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e), the first ever community-owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. The sanctuary provides a safe place for injured elephants to heal and later, be returned back to the wild. © Ami Vitale.
    Samburu Robert Lemaian and his friends greet Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) as he arrives at #Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy. These men are leaders in the community-led conservation movement in northern Kenya which is changing the landscape for wildlife here and around the world. Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy is home to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e), the first ever community-owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. The sanctuary provides a safe place for injured elephants to heal and later, be returned back to the wild. © Ami Vitale.
  • For pastoralists like the #Samburu, more grass means more food for their cattle—one reason indigenous communities have begun relating to elephants, animals long feared, in a new way. The loss of elephants has a ripple effect on other animals and the people co existing with them. Elephants are the ecosystem’s “engineers” who feed on low brush and bulldoze small trees, promoting growth of grasses, which in turn attract bulk grazers like buffalo, endangered Grevy’s zebras, eland, and oryx, themselves prey for carnivores: lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards. The Samburu are the force behind northern Kenya’s Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e), the first ever community-owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. The sanctuary provides a safe place for injured elephants to heal and later, be returned back to the wild. © Ami Vitale.
    For pastoralists like the #Samburu, more grass means more food for their cattle—one reason indigenous communities have begun relating to elephants, animals long feared, in a new way. The loss of elephants has a ripple effect on other animals and the people co existing with them. Elephants are the ecosystem’s “engineers” who feed on low brush and bulldoze small trees, promoting growth of grasses, which in turn attract bulk grazers like buffalo, endangered Grevy’s zebras, eland, and oryx, themselves prey for carnivores: lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards. The Samburu are the force behind northern Kenya’s Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e), the first ever community-owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. The sanctuary provides a safe place for injured elephants to heal and later, be returned back to the wild. © Ami Vitale.
  • Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) plays his song “Mother of Africa” with his friend, Robert Lemaian, at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) in northern Kenya. "I met Dave in the middle of a blizzard at Standing Rock in North Dakota last year and by some small miracle, he agreed to come to the elephant sanctuary and allowed me make a short film. Dave has tirelessly worked as an advocate for conservation efforts and contributed large sums to peacefully proactive environmentalist groups. Go see him if you can. Not only is his music beautiful but he is an authentically awesome human being." © Ami Vitale.
    Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) plays his song “Mother of Africa” with his friend, Robert Lemaian, at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) in northern Kenya. "I met Dave in the middle of a blizzard at Standing Rock in North Dakota last year and by some small miracle, he agreed to come to the elephant sanctuary and allowed me make a short film. Dave has tirelessly worked as an advocate for conservation efforts and contributed large sums to peacefully proactive environmentalist groups. Go see him if you can. Not only is his music beautiful but he is an authentically awesome human being." © Ami Vitale.
  • Wild elephants bath at a watering hole in #Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy. A feel-good dirt bath is just the thing in the heat of the day. A coating of soil helps protect sensitive elephant skin by acting as both sunscreen and insect repellent. © Ami Vitale.
    Wild elephants bath at a watering hole in #Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy. A feel-good dirt bath is just the thing in the heat of the day. A coating of soil helps protect sensitive elephant skin by acting as both sunscreen and insect repellent. © Ami Vitale.
  • Orphaned baby elephants of the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) spent most of their day in the wild, learning to BE wild. They spend every day from 6am to 6pm in the wildness learning to graze, browse and be a part of the wild so that when it’s time to re-introduce them, they will be prepared. © Ami Vitale.
    Orphaned baby elephants of the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) spent most of their day in the wild, learning to BE wild. They spend every day from 6am to 6pm in the wildness learning to graze, browse and be a part of the wild so that when it’s time to re-introduce them, they will be prepared. © Ami Vitale.
  • © Ami Vitale.
    © Ami Vitale.
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Ami Vitale and musican Dave Matthews team up to save the elephants

23 May 2018

Renowned American photojournalist and documentary film maker, Ami Vitale has once again lent her abundant photographic talents to yet another important issue facing the planet. The Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic magazine photographer’s work has already had significant impact on a wide range of other areas, including conservation of the giant pandas in China.

Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) plays his song “Mother of Africa” with his friend, Robert Lemaian, at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) in northern Kenya.
Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) plays his song “Mother of Africa” with his friend, Robert Lemaian, at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) in northern Kenya. "I met Dave in the middle of a blizzard at Standing Rock in North Dakota last year and by some small miracle, he agreed to come to the elephant sanctuary and allowed me make a short film. Dave has tirelessly worked as an advocate for conservation efforts and contributed large sums to peacefully proactive environmentalist groups. Go see him if you can. Not only is his music beautiful but he is an authentically awesome human being." © Ami Vitale.

This time, she’s taking a stand with musician Dave Matthews, along with organisations like Conservation International. Their aim is to draw attention to the plight of elephants and the communities protecting them. In order to do this, she made a film with Matthews the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Kenya – the very first community-owned elephant sanctuary in Africa. The sanctuary provides a safe place for injured elephants to heal and later, be returned back to the wild

Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) meets Nadasoit, an orphaned elephant At Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e). Nadasoit was rescued from a well and picked up by a helicopter when she was about 2 weeks old. Today, she’s a plump big, girl and looks after all the younger, more fragile orphans that arrive to the sanctuary. © Ami Vitale.
Dave Matthews (@davematthewsband) meets Nadasoit, an orphaned elephant at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e). Nadasoit was rescued from a well and picked up by a helicopter when she was about 2 weeks old. Today, she’s a plump big, girl and looks after all the younger, more fragile orphans that arrive to the sanctuary.
© Ami Vitale.

And to do your part in lending support and have the opportunity to win some amazing prizes, follow this link:  prizeo.com/elephants. By entering, you receive the chance to win a 7-day luxury safari in Kenya to visit Reteti, Sarara Camp, and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a trip to see Dave Matthews at the final concert of this tour at the Hollywood Bowl as well as receive a beautiful Rockbridge Guitar with a custom inlay of an elephant, hand-drawn by Matthews. The first $10,000 in funds raised will be generously matched by Elephant Gems. The more contributions you make, the better your chances of winning.

Ami Vitale’s images will be exhibited at all 47 Dave Matthews concerts over the coming months.