NAIROBI: US First Lady Melania Trump cosied up to baby elephants and went on safari in Kenya on Friday, on the third leg of a solo tour of Africa that has contrasted with the ongoing tumult in Washington.

Looking relaxed and happy, the former model gave a baby elephant bottled formula at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, famed for its work rescuing the orphans from the wild.

She then took to the Nairobi National Park where she spotted rhino, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra and other wildlife.

However her choice of a white colonial-style pith helmet while on safari drew some criticism on Twitter, with one person comparing her look to that of a “colonial administrator”.

Trump was also shown a pile of ashes from the burning of elephant ivory, which is aimed at deterring rampant poaching of the animals.

She and her local counterpart Margaret Kenyatta held talks on the welfare of mothers and children, and conservation, according to the Kenyan presidency.

Melania’s focus on wildlife stands in contrast to efforts by her husband to lift a ban on some elephant trophy imports, which created a public outcry last year. Her stepsons have also been criticised for their passion for hunting.

In one widely shared photograph, Donald Trump Jr poses with a knife in one hand and an elephant tail in the other, the animal’s corpse beside him.

The First Lady later visited an orphanage, where she played with babies and read a book to the young children, before heading to watch a dance performance at the Nairobi National Theatre.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2018