Google Street View Now Allows You to Walk with the Elephants in Kenya

Have you ever wanted to experience a herd of elephants in their natural environment? Well now you can, and without the hefty price tag of an international trip. Via their official blog, Google has announced that Google Street View now includes access to images from Samburu National Reserve and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya.

The images, accessible in 'Google Street View Treks', showcase the amazing landscape and abundance of wildlife living on the plains in the northern Kenyan wilderness. It's access most of us will never get a chance to experience in real life, and what's more, there's a purpose behind Google's Treks project. In this case, it's to highlight the work done by Save the Elephants, a group working to stop elephant poaching in the region.

From the Google blog:

"Founded in 1977, the Trust provides lifesaving assistance to wild animals in need, including orphaned elephants and rhinos. At their Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, elephant caretakers stand in for an elephant's lost family, providing 24/7 care and specially formulated milk. As the orphans grow, they are gradually reintegrated back into the wild, where they are protected by the charity's Anti-Poaching and Aerial Surveillance Teams. To date, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has hand-raised more than 180 orphaned infant elephants"

Apart from being a cool addition to Street View, the project also highlights how new media platforms can be used to highlight causes and charity organizations, and the work they do, in new and engaging ways. By integrating the message into new mediums, charity groups can greatly expand the reach of their message, particularly through social media networks, and awaken new audiences to their causes by reaching them on the platforms with which they're most familiar. The Google Street View project shows just how effective and engaging this approach can be.

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Original source: Google Street View Now Allows You to Walk with the Elephants in Kenya.
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