One baby elephant in Kenya’s Nairobi National Park was a bit too eager to meet Melania Trump on the latest stop of the first lady’s whirlwind trip across the African continent.
The creature guzzled formula from the oversized bottle held by the first lady, then lurched and gave her a start that she quickly laughed off. She patted one of the already sizable animals at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust rescue facility then took a safari ride through the park in an open-air vehicle during a visit October 5.
She gazed through binoculars at hippos, a giraffe, impalas and other animals; snapped photos on her phone; and stopped at the site where park rangers have burned 95 metric tons of ivory to discourage the illegal trade in elephant tusks.
Later, dancing and singing children welcomed Trump to their home called The Nest, for infants and school-age children whose mothers are in prison. There, she held babies and distributed blankets bearing the motto of her “Be Best” campaign.
It was day four of her four-nation tour to promote children’s health and well-being as well as education and conservation. She is also showcasing the humanitarian work of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
With Kenyan first lady Margaret Kenyatta, she attended a performance of dance and song by children and teens at the National Theater in Nairobi. The first ladies last met in Washington on August 27, when Kenya’s first couple planted a tree on the White House lawn, and Kenyatta has her own signature “Beyond Zero” initiative to improve maternal and child health.
Trump will close off her Africa tour in Egypt’s capital this weekend. She visited Ghana and Malawi earlier.
