Taking place at Clapham Common on Saturday 8th June 2019, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is seeking animal lovers, families and fitness fans to take part in their event, The Enormous Elephant Run, to raise funds for their conservation projects in Kenya.
The charity is looking for 500 runners, walkers and joggers to take on their 5k and 10k family and dog-friendly fun run with a difference – with face painting and elephant costumes available for those who want to dress up too!
All monies raised from the event will benefit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s works to protect Africa’s elephants and wildlife.
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is well-known for their Orphans’ Project in which they rescue, hand-raise and reintegrate orphaned elephants who have lost their mothers as a result of poaching, human-wildlife and drought. Since its beginning, the trust has hand-raised more than 230 elephants, with more than 130 now living back in the wild in a protected area, some with wild-born babies of their own.
Lualeni is one of these orphans. A suspected orphan to poaching, Lualeni was rescued back in 2004 after she was found all by herself at just three months old. Unable to survive without her mother, she was taken into the care of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Fast forward 14 years, Lualeni has fully reintegrated back into the wild and is now a mother to wild-born baby Lulu, who is just one of 30 babies (that the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust knows of) born to orphans hand-raised by the charity.
The event, which celebrates its sixth anniversary this year, hopes to raise £50,000 and funds raised by participants will further the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s existing projects to protect wildlife and give a second chance to elephant orphans like Lualeni.
The organisers aim to make their event a fun day out for all ages. On the day there will be stalls including pizza from The Good Slice, an elephant adoption tent which offers people the opportunity to adopt and follow the progress of an elephant in their care, a 1k kids fun run and face painting. The course is suitable for off-road buggies and dogs are also welcome to participate too.
Those that don’t want to run but still want to get involved can take part by volunteering their time on the day.
To volunteer at the event, please contact: eventsuk@sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
To register for your place at The Enormous Elephant Run, visit www.enormouselephantrun.com/london - Registration costs £24-26 per adult and £10 for children. Dressing up isn’t required, but elephant onesies, t-shirts and elephant ear headbands for those more adventurous runners can be purchased. If you can’t make it on the day but still want to take part, you can sign up to their virtual run for £25.
Further information on the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust can be found at: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
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