When the wild and the city coexist in harmony in Nairobi

When a city encroaches into its wildlife territory, can you really blame the animals when you read stories of leopards wandering into societies inhabited by humans? A stark contrast to our city of skyscrapers, Nairobi's conservation policy not only allows people and animals to coexist, but also ensures that the animals — that are their pride and joy — are protected.

So, one moment we're driving along the bustling streets of Nairobi and the next we're watching 25 orphaned baby elephants (in batches of 11 and 14) roll around in the muck, topple over cans holding water and photobomb people's selfies at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The trust's Nairobi nursery nurtures baby elephants and rhinos, who have lost their mothers due to illness, drought, and even poachers. Rescued from different parts of the country, the elephants are transported by air to the nursery, where they are cared for and then released into the wild after they turn three. But the trust has done more than successfully hand-rear and rehabilitate over 130 orphaned elephants; it's anti-poaching and aerial surveillance teams patrol and tackle illegal activities in the Tsavo Conservation Area, while four mobile veterinary units and a sky vet unit treat injured wildlife across Kenya, and its 'Saving Habitats' programme protects unique wilderness areas for the future. The trust also donates tree saplings to schools and communities to rehabilitate deforested areas, thus encouraging the community to be more involved in wildlife conservation.

A keeper feeds a baby elephant​

Ngilai, Sana Sana, Tamiyoi, Murit, Esampu, Luggard, a few more names and I lose track of the elephants that are being introduced to us; they have been named for the place they've been rescued from or for the reasons that have left them orphans. It's feeding time now, and they're chasing after their keepers for their baby formula that is fed to them from something resembling an oversized milk bottle. If they come close to you, you can pet them, but "don't sit down or squat; they may think you're a toy," warns one of the keepers. The keepers care for the orphans 24 hours a day and sleep with them on a rotational basis, so that no elephant gets too attached to one particular keeper.

A woman feeds a giraffe at the Giraffe Centre

A few more photos and we're on our way to our second animal encounter for the day — feeding the giraffes at the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, more commonly known as the Giraffe Centre. Once started as an initiative to rescue the endangered Rothschild giraffe, the centre, situated in Nairobi's Lang'ata suburb, now gives visitors a chance to interact with the world's tallest species. Founded in 1979, it educates Kenyan school children about the country's wildlife and environment. The centre also holds training workshops for trainers, conducts national environmental competitions, organises ecology trips, and funds micro-projects, among several other environmental conservation activities it undertakes. So, feed the giraffes, pose with them, even steal a sloppy kiss if you dare; they'll certainly steal your heart.

Zebras graze in open fields of grass as the sun sets over the city skyline in the backdrop... nothing could be more picturesque, as we travel along the mud tracks within Nairobi National Park. Located in the heart of Nairobi (10 km south of the city centre), you're bound to notice parts of the 117 sqkm park as you drive past from the airport. Believed to be the only wildlife park in the world that is so close to the city, it is home to the buffalo, giraffe, lion, baboon, wildebeest, topi, Thompson's gazelle, rhino, impala, hartebeest, leopard, Grant's gazelle, and over 400 species of birds.