Baby elephants are a lot like dominos — one falls down, they all tumble down! (This is — you guessed it — our Umani kindergarten class: Lenny, Sulwe, and Zigi, while nanny Kiasa tries to maintain some order) — These babies are ‘grandchildren’ of our Orphans’ Project: Their mothers were orphaned when they were just babies themselves and raised in our care. Now, they are all grown up and nurturing their own families in the wild. Meet the 79 known ‘grandchildren’ born to our Orphans’ Project: sheld

805K views · 4K reactions | In 2015, Nat Geo Photographer Charlie Hamilton James visited the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya to document his experience with orphaned elephants. Today, he reflects on his assignment and the critical role elephants play in our ecosystem. Video by Charlie Hamilton James | National Geographic | Facebook