SAIRA KHAN’S PICK OF THE WEEK

I was so thrilled to read the story about how Carrie ‘ Johnson (inset above) is helping to mastermind this exciting project – and what makes it even more incredible is that it’s a genuine world first. It is hoped that 13 elephants, including three calves, who are currently living in an eight-acre enclosure at Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, are going to travel more than 4,300 miles across the globe to be reintroduced to the wild in Kenya. If it all goes ahead, it will be the first time a breeding herd has been rewilded anywhere, ever.

What an ambitious project. I think the UK is great, globally, for being a pioneer in conservation. It is part of our history, and it’s great that we’re still leading the way.

This project by The Aspinall Foundation – whose director of communications is Carrie, the Prime Minister’s wife – shows that if you’re really passionate about something, you shouldn’t give up on trying to make the impossible happen.

I think the world will be watching to see how this unfolds – and it will hopefully result in more animals being released back into the wild where they belong.

I’d really be interested to see how they’re going to experience the wild. I think there’s a really lovely analogy: it’s not natural to be held captive and, as human beings, we’ve been held captive in our own homes because of a virus. We know it doesn’t really feel

‘ very nice. If you don’t like it, why should an animal? So, as we’re coming out of our captivity, so are these elephants.

It’s also a real testament to the human spirit. I really wish them the best of luck. We’re going to be hearing about this story for a long time to come.