Kenya - David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage

A restful nights sleep following the 8 hour flight to Nairobi was followed by a hearty Kenyan breakfast.

Fully re-charged we set off for the Elephant Orphanage slightly later than had been planned.
Being a Saturday it was very busy and it seemed that most other tourists had got the same idea judging by the amount of cars parked up.

'Rounding up time'

11 O'clock sees all the baby elephants 'parade' out of their stables (I assume that's what they are called?) to meet the public and to be fed. Sometimes there are also baby Rhino being cared for too.

All of the elephants have their own individual names and can be adopted for $50. Each Elephant has either being orphaned by poachers, or have been lost and abandoned for natural reasons. The Trust is run by Daphne Sheldrick in memory of her husband since 1977, the founding Warden of Tsavo National Park.

During the hour long talk and feeding session the Elephant Keepers allow their charges to wander up to an informal rope barrier for  petting and a photo opportunity.

The orphanage (after a lot of trial and error) have become experts on hand rearing baby Elephants. They have mastered a special milk formula, and the keepers provide 24 hour protection and care for their assigned Elephants. Going as far as to sleep in the same stable!
Without this constant care and affection they simply not thrive, growing up disturbed and unhappy and unfit for release.

Lapping up the special milk formula

Unlike Rhinos Elephants mature around the same rate as humans. Rhinos are twice as fast.
Elephants are re-introduced to the wild based on their individuality. The shy and wary ones will take much longer. Traumatised Elephants also take much longer.

Many of the 're-habilitated' Elephants are released at Tsavo National Park. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) operates the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. To date 244 orphans have been successfully raised.

Additionally the organisation run a highly trained anti poaching and de-snaring operation. Ivory and rhino horn poaching, habitat destruction and bushmeat poaching are having a devastating effect on Africa’s wildlife and wild spaces.

In 2018 alone 4,100 snares were seized, 344 arrests were made and 190 weapons seized.