IamDanielTham

We have two very disgruntled boys at Umani Springs. Everyone is besotted with newborn Mwezi — everyone, that is, except Lenny and Zigi. They resent the tiny girl who, in their minds, arrived unannounced and stole the position of most precious baby of the herd. Perhaps aware of their jealousies, nannies are keeping them at a distance from Mwezi. They've had to make do causing nonsense amongst themselves — Zigi is atop Lenny, who is kicking up quite a fuss! Meet the newest member of our extended elephant family, Mwezi: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/n…

Friendships look a bit different here ♥️ At face value, a hippo and an elephant might not have much in common – but no one’s told Bumpy and Wangalla! The adorable pair have fallen trunk over tail for each other. Both are orphans, and two of our youngest rescues at that. They will grow up step in step at our Kaluku Unit, until they are ready to reclaim their places in the wild. Find out how you can adopt orphaned animals like Bumpy and Wangalla for yourself or as a gift: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

It’s the peak of the dry season in Kenya, and while we wait for rains, our field teams are working in overdrive with a relentless stream of rescues and emergency operations. But there’s plenty to celebrate, too! Earlier this week, our pilot spotted these black rhinos during an aerial patrol. Poaching cut black rhino numbers by around 98% across Africa, but they’re making a slow but steady comeback in Kenya. We are grateful to our donors, who allow us to answer the call in good times and bad. Learn more about our Air Wing: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/n…

Night night Poppi Poppi is the youngest daughter of Poppy, a legendary matriarch who led her family for decades. When Poppy died of old age at 53, her one-year-old calf refused to leave her side, so she came into our care. Fiercely independent, Poppi shuns the senior nannies. But she’s not a “big girl” yet, and so night-times are spent tucked up in her own stable with a Keeper bunked up to offer company. You can follow Poppi’s journey back to the wild through an adoption for yourself or as a gift for someone special: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

In Umani Springs, everyone now walks at ‘Mwezi pace’! At just five days old, our tiniest girl can’t travel very far or very fast, but the herd is very, very happy to slow down to her baby speed. Every baby born to a rewilded orphan is a miracle, but that miracle is compounded for our ex-orphan mum, Murera: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/n…

Starting our day the Kaikai way! If you ever wondered what a happy elephant looks like – look no further. Our little ray of sunshine shines her emotions with every peppy step and swing of the trunk. Kaikai (and her sidekick Bungalu) are two of the youngest orphans in our care, and they are here today because of supporters like you. Both will have a home with us until they are ready to reclaim their place in the wild – a process that may take upwards of a decade. By adopting, you support their journeys and receive regular updates on their progress. Adopt Kaikai: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

Plucky little Poppi has found herself a new mentor: Wamata (who is closest to the camera). It’s an about turn for our once-spoiled girl, Wamata, who is proving a very diligent matriarch-in-the-making. Poppi, in case you haven’t met her before, is the newest addition to our adoption programme. She was only rescued in September, after her mother, a famed Amboseli matriarch, succumbed to old age. Her journey with us is just beginning: one that will lead her all the way back got the wild. Support Poppi by adopting her, as a gift for yourself or someone special: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

Why do the orphans each have their own "room" at night? First, the reassuring part: a room of one's own doesn't mean sleeping alone. The orphans bed down on soft hay, surrounded by the comforting rumbles of the others, with a Keeper right beside them throughout the night. Neighbours often rumble to one another through the walls before settling down for sleep. As for the separate rooms themselves, there's one main reason: they allow the Keepers to provide one-to-one care, feed each orphan during the night and closely monitor how much every individual is eating and how they're doing. Each orphan has its own cosy, secure space – close to the herd, but a space of its own. As they grow older and need a little less support at night, they graduate to communal stockades, where they can enjoy the company of one another while also encountering nocturnal wild visitors that wander through.

Do our baby elephants sleep through the night? Spare a thought for the Keepers… Our youngest orphans are fast asleep on their hay-lined mattresses by early evening – but a good night’s unbroken sleep isn’t on the cards, for them or for their Keepers. The smallest orphans need milk every three hours, around the clock, which means a Keeper is awake in the small hours, feeding and settling each orphan back down. Some babies grow so attuned to the routine that they reach a trunk over to their Keeper’s bunk when they hear milk being prepared, impatient for their turn. Those three-hourly feeds add up, and milk is one of the biggest costs of raising an orphan. You can help cover it through our wishlist: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/s…

Just like human babies, newborn rhino calf Chamboi needed naps too. He was rescued as a newborn in September 2023 – found alone by rangers near a waterhole in Tsavo West at barely a day old, his mother nowhere to be found. We brought him to Kaluku, so he could grow up and reintegrate back into the same ecosystem he was rescued from. Fun fact: he used to squeak constantly for reassurance and comfort, but today - he's a teenager full of confidence, on a journey back to the wild! Around 6,788 black rhino remain in the wild, so every animal saved (and rewilded) counts. Become a part of his story by adopting him, and your adoption can help fund his milk, care and Keepers: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

Misheck can’t even take a tea break without Wangalla glued to his side! Our long-serving Keeper is a real favourite with some of our youngest orphans, and it’s because of him that Wangalla is alive today. When the tiny infant struggled with teething, Misheck would pull his chair outside her stable, armed with a bushel of fresh greens, and pluck every leaf off the branches one by one, selecting only the best. In the fullness of time, Wangalla’s journey will take her back to the wilds of Tsavo East, where her story began. For now, you can be part of it through an adoption, for yourself or as a gift for someone special: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

A two-hour flight, mud like quicksand and a trapped mum and baby. This is elephant conservation in action: emergency response for nature’s giants. When friends far up in Samburu called us for help, we knew we had to act. We have unique expertise in this kind of rescue: last year alone, our Aerial Unit helped extract 17 elephants from similar predicaments. Our pilot loaded one of our fixed-wing aircraft with our custom elephant straps and flew north. This was the scene that greeted him: an adult and calf stuck fast in drying mud. Together with personnel from Ol Malo, Loisaba Conservancy and the Kenya Wildlife Service, we worked the straps around the elephants. First came the calf, who was easier to haul out, then the adult, who proved a much greater challenge. Mission complete, both elephants slowly got their bearings and walked off. It’s the height of the dry season, and times are difficult across the country. When Kenya’s elephants need us, wherever they may be, we will answer the call. Your donations make it possible: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/d…

Poppi used to get her milk from her mum. Now a bottle does the trick. Her mother was a matriarch of Amboseli. When she died of natural causes, Poppi couldn’t have survived without milk, so when the Kenya Wildlife Service rescued her, the mantle fell to us to keep her appetite sated. Although she had already spent her first year in the wild, she settled quickly into our care, and her voracious appetite soon became clear. So much so that we have increased her portion! Discover Poppi’s story, from the Nursery to her eventual return to the wild, and help fund the care of orphans like her through an adoption: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

Only hours old, and already meeting her extended family. That includes you! Meet Chili, a tiny wild-born calf. Her mother, Chyulu, is an orphan we rescued, raised and rewilded, and she brought her newborn to our Ithumba Unit to meet the people who raised her. Chili is the 96th calf born to our ex-orphans that we know of! This is what your support makes possible. Thank you for being part of Chili’s story, and ours: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

A sight we’ll never tire of. Our ex-orphans came to visit on Sunday, and Nesheshi had the honour of leading the herd. Hers was one of our most challenging rescues. After her mother was shot and killed, she very nearly wasted away, and reaching her meant airlifting her in a customised sling beneath our helicopter from a remote corner of Laikipia. This video is why we moved heaven and earth to save her: we could give her the family and support she needed to survive and return to the wild. And she has. Discover her story: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

Watch out, Amali – Latika is keen to take your mantle as top nanny! Latika, our girl with the short trunk and big heart, is really starting to shine. She only graduated to Umani in December and, being a shy elephant, took time to find her place in the herd. Now she is one of the family, loving her new nannying duties. She has a soft spot for Lenny – and the lovable little rogue is certainly putting her through her paces! It’s a miracle Latika is with us at all. She was rescued with a snare wrapped tightly around her neck and struggled with poor health for a long time. Now she is thriving at our Umani Springs Reintegration Unit. Discover Latika’s story and support her through an adoption: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

What does a happy elephant sound like? Turn up the volume and find out. Elephants put the ‘happy’ in reunion. Wild herds erupt into joyous trumpets and trunk hugs when a long-absent loved one returns, and our orphans do the same. When Keeper Joseph came back from leave, Kaikai and Bungalu were beyond elated, greeting him with rumbles and trunk hugs. Both calves lost their mothers, and little Bungalu even survived a lion attack. Raised by Keepers like Joseph, they will one day reclaim their place in the wild. Discover their rescue stories and support their journeys by adopting: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…