Our Royals Collection launched early this November and our designer gave us the inside scoop as to why this collection is so important to us, our brand and who we represent [YOU!]. We also got to talk to Save The Elephants, who provided us with some remarkable information about the Royals Family, which we will share below. The Royals tee that you are wearing is more than just a name; it represents a close-knit family of elephants that have stuck together through love, loss and perseverance.
Q: Why is this collection so important to Ivory Ella?
A: Each shirt represents a real elephant, one that we've helped in someway. Each has their own personality traits that make them unique. We hope that even just by knowing their names, our customer will feel more connected to the elephants.
Q: What went into the design process?
A: In this specific family, each elephant is named after a Royal. I wanted to combine royal ornaments and motifs with the Ivory Ella style, so I researched each individual to identify design elements from their cultures.
Q: What stands out to you about this collection?
A: This collection is really about individual elephants that we are helping. The Royals are one of the largest herds in the Samburu National Reserve.
Information provided by Save The Elephants
- The Royals Family is one of the most dominant families in the Samburu National Reserve, Kenya.
- They are the most intact group in the reserve with few losses of individuals to poaching.
- They have many big females and are thus prominent and successful. Older females have a lot of knowledge and wisdom acquired over many years- they keep the group together and know
where to find the best feeding grounds and drinking holes. During the poaching crisis of 2009- 2013, many families were decimated and lost their big females. Unlike these families the Royals lost only a few females. Researchers think that this is because they mostly reside in the reserves, which are relatively safer than areas outside of them.
- Due to their large number, the Royals occasionally split into two or three groups during the dry season when food is scarce and come back together over the rainy season when there is more food available.
- Many members are marked by a pink birthmark on their leg and were once called the ‘pink family’ by researchers in the 1990’s.
- They are a tight-knit group. They have been observed by researchers during collaring operations where they become very protective of the elephant being collared. They mock charge the car and after the collaring is done, they rush to the waking individual to greet and fuss over her.
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ANASTASIA is 45 years old and is the matriarch of the group. She took over from Queen Victoria who died 2013. She has three calves: a female born in 2016 and two males born in 2012 and 2003. She has had other calves over the years some of whom died, and others dispersed as mature bulls.
CLEOPATRA is 53 years old and has a broken ear. She has five calves, a female born this year (2018), a male born in 2013, two females born in 2009 and 2002, and a dispersed bull called Lengishu, born in 1999. Her 2002 calf recently gave birth to a female calf in January 2018.
CATHERINE is a big female born in 1975. She is old and is one of the big, breeding females of the group. She has four calves born in 2014, 2009, 2004 and 1999.
MARGARET was born in 1971. Just like Catherine, she is also very independent and prefers to venture away from the rest of the group. She has long, beautiful, uneven tusks. She has seven calves and some of them are now breeding females. Her male calf called Weird Tusk, who is long dispersed, is well-known by researchers due to his oddly shaped tusks.
BESS was born in 1999. She is Catherine’s daughter and has a male calf born in 2013.
NEFERTITI was born in 2003. She is Mary’s daughter and has a female calf born in 2014.
RANIA is Silvia’s daughter born in 2000. She has a male calf born in 2014.
MARIE is Margaret’s daughter born in 1996. She has two calves born in 2016 and 2012.
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Gift a Royals Family long sleeve tee this holiday season to an influential women in your life!
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