In the wild, a baby elephant would never be alone. Many of the orphans we are called to rescue are victims of drought, found trapped in wells, or orphaned by human–wildlife conflict. Two were even personally deposited into our care by a herd of elephants – they found the lone orphans and brought them directly to us for help.

At our Nursery, rescued orphans find sanctuary to heal and thrive. Raising them from recovery to reintegration is a long‑term commitment, one that spans upwards of a decade. Every step of the way, we are by their sides – from milk‑bottle feeds to night‑time cuddles, and first mud baths to graduating to one of our Reintegration Units. Once they are living wild, our field teams take up the mantle, watching over the orphans as guardians of the wild.

Monthly giving helps makes that possible. When we know we can count on your support, we can act immediately to help the next orphan found alone – before it is too late.

For nearly half a century, we have worked in Kenya to save elephants, rhinos, and all of Kenya’s wildlife. Our late Founder, Dame Daphne Sheldrick, was the first person in the world to discover the milk formula and husbandry needed to raise milk‑dependent baby elephants and rhinos, and the specialist care they require to survive infancy. This knowledge has saved the lives of more than 320 orphans and informs our entire approach to raising them, prioritising not just their physical health, but their psychological needs too.

But we do much more than this. We undertake veterinary treatments to save injured wild animals, secure critical habitats to ensure wildlife has access to food, water and space to roam, carry out patrols to stop poachers and prevent wildlife crime, and work with communities so that people and wild animals can live in harmony.