Shaba
a short film by Ami Vitale
An extraordinary story about something that has never been done before
Reteti is Africa’s first indigenous community owned elephant sanctuary.
The keepers rescue and rehabilitate orphaned elephant calves with the aim to release them back into the wild.
WATCH THE TRAILER OF OUR AWARD WINNING FILM BELOW
In the mountains of Northern Kenya, a Samburu community is doing something that has never been done before, building a sanctuary for orphaned elephants to rehabilitate them back to the wild.
The project is not only changing attitudes about elephants, it is changing attitudes about women too. The secret to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary's success is the special bond between a group of women keepers and one special elephant named Shaba.
About Shaba
NAME Shaba, the Matriarch
RESCUE DATE November 2016
RELEASE DATE May 2019
At 2 years old, Shaba is the matriarch of the Reteti herd. She was rescued from Shaba National Reserve in November 2016, after poachers shot and killed her mother.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
Reteti is a Samburu owned and run sanctuary supported by The Sarara Foundation.
Situated among Kenya’s second largest elephant population, the Sanctuary takes in orphaned and abandoned elephant calves with an aim to release them back into the wild herds adjoining Reteti. This is the result of a widely recognised and expanding grassroots movement of community-driven conservation across Northern Kenya; a movement that is growing new economies, transforming lives and conserving natural resources.
The Reteti Keepers
All the keepers at Reteti are from the local Samburu community and formally trained in the care, rehabilitation and release of orphaned, abandoned or injured elephant calves.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary rescues to release.
Support Reteti
While Shaba might be a wild elephant today, the work of Reteti and the keepers continue. Any donation, no matter how big or small, makes a profound difference on the ground.
About the filmmaker
AMI VITALE
Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic Magazine photographer, writer and filmmaker Ami Vitale has traveled to more than 100 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit.
Throughout the years, Ami has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit— keeping true to her belief in the importance of “living the story.”
In 2009, after shooting a powerful story on the transport and release of one the world’s last northern white rhinos, Ami shifted her focus to today’s most compelling wildlife and environmental stories. Instyle Magazine named Ami one of fifty Badass Women, a series celebrating women who show up, speak up and get things done. She appeared alongside a group of incredible women including Jane Goodall, Christiane Amanpour and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
She has been named Magazine photographer of the year in the International Photographer of the Year prize, received the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting and named Magazine Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographer’s Association, among others. She is a five-time recipient of World Press Photos, including 1st Prize for her 2018 National Geographic magazine story about a community in Kenya protecting elephants.
For Educators
Are you a teacher or lecturer and want to use Shaba in your classroom for educational purposes?
“The most extraordinary and moving film I’ve watched.
Ami’s storytelling is superb and the work that Reteti does is beyond inspiring”
Samuel Katz
“Oh my gosh! My husband (88) and I, just watched your film, twice. There were tears! It is so beautiful and uplifting. We enjoyed it so much!!! I think I will be starting each day for the next month, watching your film. It is clearly the feel good film of the summer. Thank you! And thank you to all those beautiful women who care. I am awestruck!”
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