The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphans Project began 45 years ago when Daphne Sheldrick began caring for an orphaned elephant in a bedroom converted into a stable. At the time, there was no instruction manual on how to raise a baby elephant.
But Daphne was determined to figure it out, and soon more orphan elephants arrived. She hired a dedicated staff of Keepers, and over the years, the Orphans Project raised over 316 orphaned elephants and 17 orphaned rhinos – animals that could not have survived alone. Young elephants, like humans, require years to mature (a decade or more) before they can take care of themselves.
Daphne and her husband David, the founding warden of the Tsavo East National Park, had the same goal: to preserve a way of life for the animals living at Tsavo, including the young elephants orphaned due to poaching, drought, sickness, and other causes.
Today, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust works in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service, local communities and other field partners to fund water projects, reduce wildlife crimes and safeguard wilderness areas.
The Orphans Project is caring for 111 orphan elephants, 15 rescued in 2021. One of our agency founders, Jon Male, recently visited The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust while in Nairobi. “I was inspired to adopt Kamili, a 3-year-old elephant calf. She was found alone and dangerously dehydrated,” Jon said. “I think anyone who cares about animals and preservation would have done the same thing.”
“The staff is so dedicated – and the elephants are so animated and friendly – they all have distinct personalities. You want to do anything you can to help them.”
To learn more about The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphans Project, go to https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/.
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