Many of the elephants at the orphanage were rescued from places like Maasai Mara, Kenya where our team goes on safari and has seen herds of wild elephants. The elephants are a safari favorite and every herd had baby elephants.

A baby and it’s herd

But sometimes bad things happen – mom elephants get injured or killed by poachers or babies can get stuck in mud holes and separated from the herd. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust rescues the babies and helps them to survive those crucial early years. Without the special milk fed to the babies for their first 4 years, they would not survive. And, just like humans, baby elephants are traumatized by events that separate them from their mom and family. The keepers at the orphanage work hard to help the baby elephants feel loved and secure as well as being well fed until they can provide for themselves. Imagine how much milk a 250 pound baby needs!

Visiting the Elephant Orphanage (August 2016)

Signing adoption papers

We loved seeing the baby elephants romp and run, and play with each other. They looked just like preschoolers and kindergarteners at recess with the little ones tagging along with the bigger ones. We even saw pushing and shoving-those naughty elephants!. The babies will stay at the orphanage until they are 4-6 years old and weaned from the bottles. The keepers will help them transition back to the wild but there will always be a strong bond between the babies and their keepers. After all, an elephant has a great memory and will NEVER FORGET!