Foster Parents – orphan elephants in Kenya

”Foster Parents”. A film for and by foster parents who adopted orphan elephants in Kenya.

The year 2015 was again a very bad year for the elephant in Africa. Elephants are still being killed on a large scale; over the past three years poachers killed more than 100.000 elephants. A century ago there were 5 million elephants in Africa. During the seventies roughly 1.3 million and by the end of 2015 just about 500.000.

Kenya leads the way in the battle against poaching. Poaching an elephant in Kenya may result in a sentence of life in prison. Still too many elephants become orphan every year.

Augustijn Video Productions (AVP) continues to be committed to help the African elephants.

The film ”Foster Parents” follows foster parents during their visits to Nairobi, Ithumba and Voi. Whilst people are generally deliberately kept out in nature documentaries, this film purposely shows the engagement of the elephant lovers. It visualizes where and how the orphan elephants are kept, how they are treated there, how foster parents are up-dated by the keepers and above all how foster parents experience walking in between orphans, ex-orphans and wild elephants.

Adoptive parents can enjoy watching the playful little orphans in Nairobi. The film, however, also shows the suffering people caused to the orphans. The heavily traumatized ”Dupotto” and the seriously injured ”Simotua”;
a poaching victim.

Sheldrick also adopts other animals that need help. Like ”Kiko”, the orphan giraffe and the orphan ostriches ”Pea” and ”Pod”. They entertain the orphan elephants.

Ithumba is known for its many dik-diks, ground squirrels, baboons and kudu. The also present big cats usually don’t show themselves during daylight.

Augustijn Video Productions (AVP) were the very first ones to capture the newborn ”Wiva” on film;
the baby daughter of ex-orphan ”Wendi”. AVP produced a special film of 15 minutes: ”Wiva – her first day”. http://www.augustijnvideoproductions.nl/en/trailers/weesolifanten/wiva-haar-eerste-dag/

Orphan elephants, ex-orphans, wild elephants and foster parents meet at the mud pool. The foster parents suddenly found themselves standing amidst over 80 elephants. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Of course ”Shukuru” received special attention from the film crew. She is now 6 years old.

The foster parents also visited the Voi shelter. Learn why there is so much poaching and what the hard currency it generates. Touching to see ”Ngulia”, the young orphan zebra and what recently came in, a baby orphan-eland. As yet it developed no fear of people.

At the moment there are 23 orphan elephants in Voi, including the 10 year old ”Lesanju” with her half ear.

Thanks to the ”David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust” more than 150 orphan elephants returned to the wild.
That sounds like a success story, but it’s not nearly enough.

AVP helps. Amongst others by releasing films on orphan elephants in Kenya.

For all those who are not in a position to embark on a foster parent trip to Kenya, the film aims at providing information. To stimulate awareness. Why are the elephants orphan? Why is there so much poaching?
What can we do? This film provides the answers.

Exciting, educational, entertaining, amusing.

The latest AVP film ”Foster Parents” is English spoken by narrator Bill Mackie and is available on PAL or NTSC format.

An unusual experience!

Title: ”Foster Parents”

Running time: 56 minutes

Language: English

Voice over: Bill Mackie

Format: PAL + NTSC / High Definition 16:9

Price: EUR 14,95 (plus postage)