Baby elephants are as fragile to the elements as they are robust in their game play. Emotionally sensitive & highlight intelligent, orphaned elephants require considerable love, support, and kindness - that's where our dedicated & compassionate Keepers come in!

Toto is one nosy elephant. We’ve shown him ‘supervising’ the milk mixing process. Now he turns his trunk to vehicle inspection. Since joining our herd, this hairy little orphan elephant has stolen our hearts. Now, you can let him into yours: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/toto

#DidYouKnow your support is keeping the conservation wheel turning – quite literally! SWT patrol vehicles need to cover all terrains and your donations help us ensure vehicles are in tiptop condition, so rangers can monitor wildlife & mount a rapid response to emergencies.

A reminder of how tiny Maktao once was! Rescued at just 3 months old, he was so tiny that he could fit in the back of a helicopter with room to spare! 6 years later, he’s definitely outgrown helicopters and is enjoying life on land at Umani Springs sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/maktao

Before we met Lemeki, we feared the worst. She had been plucked to safety from the raging, flooded Mara river & we were worried she could be malnourished, or susceptible to pneumonia. But she’s fared better than we’d ever thought - just look at her now (left) with best pal…

Family is everything to elephants. That’s where our Keepers step in, loving and looking after their orphan charges until they are ready to reclaim their place in the wild. This is Keeper Adan & Enkesha at our Umani Springs Reintegration Unit: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/enkesha

🔊Sound on for the slurps! Many milk bottles have gone into helping Naleku grow strong & healthy & we couldn't be prouder of her progress. If you’d like to join us in supporting Naleku in her next steps, adopt her here & be a part of her ongoing story: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/naleku

We'll never know what led Kapei to be on his own but his fragile state suggested he was a drought victim & one that needed to be handled with great care. Luckily he landed at Umani, where he is surrounded by maternal figures who all want to shadow him! sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/kapei

#DidYouKnow each of our rangers enters the field with extensive paramilitary training gained at the KWS Manyani Academy? Our latest group graduated in Nov 2023 & have since been putting their newly honed skills to use in pursuit of wildlife conservation! sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/news/updates/s…

It was an action-packed week for our Nursery herd. Take a look:

1 • Mokogodo & her ever-present nannies, Latika and Sileita
2 • Weka… being Weka (she’s so mischievous!)
3 • Pardamat & Taroha using Mzinga as their personal jungle gym
4 • Choka delighting in a newly…

We mentioned earlier that Toto is a fan of a sneak attack trunk hug. Here it is in action! He lays down as though he’s sleeping, then waits patiently until someone comes to his stable door, pops to his feet & races across to give a trunk hug.

Toto is one of the youngest orphans…

As Keeper Peter puts it…“They are my babies. I love them & they love me”. As surrogate mothers to the orphans, our Keepers endure long nights & fraught early days raising the orphans. This #MothersDay , here are some of our favourite photos that celebrate this maternal bond.

As a orphaned newborn, Toto thrived on a milk-only diet. Now he’s two-years-old, his reliance on milk remains but leaves, roots & shoots have been incorporated into his diet. As you’ll see, he’s already achieved the status of master browser! sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/toto

Here’s to the mothers, matriarchs and maternal figures in our lives, who protect and guide us, navigate our tantrums and show us unconditional love. Happy #MothersDay to all those fulfilling this special nurturing role, in whatever form it may take. 💚

Raha ❤️ greens, a simple observation that belies an enormous struggle to get this point: Before her rescue, Raha’s rear-end was mauled & she needed multiple operations to repair it. She's since healed wonderfully & devours grass at every opportunity. sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/raha

Tsavo’s baobabs have stood sentinel over the wilderness for centuries & are a beloved hang-out spot for the orphans. Here’s our favourite facts about these incredible trees:
-Also known as the upside down tree
-Their flowers bloom at night
-They are among the longest lived trees

Electric, beehive, rhino-proof: to date, we've erected over 450km of fencelines. Without cutting off migratory routes completely, these wild borders protect wild habitats, reduce conflict between communities & wildlife & create local employment through monitoring & maintenance.

The moment Galana strode up & introduced her newest baby is a highlight of 2024! An orphan, we raised Galana from a young calf until she was ready to rejoin to the wild. Now she’s raising her own family in a protected National Park: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/news/updates/g… #celebratingmums

It’s the #SaturdayMorning before #MothersDay & you haven’t bought a gift yet? Toto isn’t judging! Find out how you can adopt an orphan elephant, rhino or giraffe in our care for the maternal figure in your life: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/mothers-day-ad…

Baby rhino spa day! As he waits for the afternoon heat to subside, orphan black rhino Chamboi enjoys a lovely massage, courtesy of Keeper Kingoo. This was filmed 2 months after Chamboi's rescue. He’s filled out a lot since then! See what he looks like now: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/chamboi