SUBMISSION: Female Orphan by Douglas Aja
Female Orphan by Douglas Aja. All Rights Reserved. Increased demand for ivory in Asia in recent years has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of elephants, leaving countless calves orphaned. This sculpture represents one of the few lucky ones which are rescued and brought to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Here they are cared for and given a second opportunity at life and freedom. This calf is under six months of age and will eventually be reintroduced into the wild. This is a long process that can take ten years or longer before they become fully independent. Blankets are for warmth and protection from the sun. The calves will no longer need them around age two.