A Trip To Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Elephant Orphanage In Kenya
Touring David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya offers a haven for elephants who have been victims of poaching in East Africa. With love and care, these elephants can return to Kenya's National Parks when they feel ready. The orphanage is situated on the edge of Nairobi National Park.
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is world-renowned for its work in rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned baby elephants. The Trust's Nursery is located in Nairobi National Park, where an elephant orphan's journey begins — a journey that will culminate, years down the line, in their reintegration back into the wild.
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) operates the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world and also does much more than this as it embraces all measures that complement the conservation, preservation, and protection of wildlife including anti-poaching, safeguarding the natural environment, enhancing community awareness and providing veterinary assistance to animals in need.
The elephant orphanage was a great initiative by Daphne Sheldrick who decided on this venture in memory of her husband David Sheldrick shortly after he died, a leading crusader against poaching died in 1977. David Sheldrick was one of the Tsavo National Park founders and pioneered a milk formula for baby elephants and rhino calves. Since 2001, it has been run by their daughter, Angela Sheldrick.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has since saved the lives of more than 263 abandoned elephants. Daphne Sheldrick was in 1989 named a Dame by Queen Elizabeth ll. The Sheldrick Trust is a non-profit that runs one of the most successful elephant conservation and rehabilitation programs globally.
The sanctuary raises the elephants until they are no longer milk-dependent and gradually introduces them back into the wild in Tsavo National Park. The scope of Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s work can be seen in a great range of Kenya’s National Parks: Covering the Greater Tsavo Conservation Area, Meru National Park, and Mau Forest.
Sheldrick's orphanage in Nairobi has everything that will make a baby elephant feel right at home. The young have their private rooms; there is a communal bath which allows for healthy interaction with other elephants, a dining area, and even a playground and each elephant has his keeper to care for him 24/7.
There are roughly 14 elephants at the orphanage at any given time. Most will stay here for several years until they are fully ready to go off into the wild again. The Elephant Orphanage receives distress calls from all over Kenya and the rest of East Africa. Most elephants are flown to Daphne Sheldrick's orphanage just outside of Nairobi and will then undergo the treatment he/she needs.
Other rescued animals:
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust also travels throughout Kenya to rescue orphaned south-central black rhinoceros, along with other animals like giraffes, hippos, and a southern white rhinoceros. Many of the orphaned animals rescued are victims of poaching and human-wildlife conflict.
In partnership with the Kenya Forest Service, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has also embarked on conserving and sustaining the environment in the Kibwezi Forest. The Forest, one of Kenya's last remaining groundwater woodlands, is a unique ecosystem bordering the Chyulu Hills National Park and an exceptional biodiversity hotspot providing a habitat for several wildlife species, including the African elephant as well as an impressive collection of rare and endemic mammals, birds, reptiles, butterflies, invertebrates and fish.
Orphanage Community Outreach:
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust also operates a community outreach project, working to improve the livelihoods and educational standards of people living along the borders of Kenya's National Parks and protected areas through the introduction of community initiatives and local employment.
Visiting the Orphanage:
The wildlife center has become a major attraction for visitors in Nairobi. Tourists can come and observe baby elephants (and the occasional rhino) play and be fed by the handlers between 11 am and 12 pm.
There is also a gift shop on-site, where you can also set up fostering for the animal of your choice. If you adopt an Elephant, you will also be invited to an exclusive visit between 5 and 6 pm, when the elephants get ready for bed. We highly recommend pre-booking tickets and getting there early.
Access to the Orphanage:
The simplest way to arrive at the sanctuary is by taxi from the Nairobi center or with a guided tour. You can also take the bus 125 or 126 from Moi Avenue to the KWS central workshop. This will leave you with a short walk to the sanctuary itself.
