But as the orphans grow up, there is a changing of the guard: the shepherded become the shepherds, protecting the people who raised them in the wild world where they now reign.

– Angela Sheldrick

It is difficult to do animals justice through human language. Our lexicon is built upon qualities and values as we understand them; thus, the creatures outside our realm defy true characterization.

But within the constraints of our dictionary, I would describe elephants, in a word, as a benevolent species. Of course, they are still hardwired for survival and driven by biological needs — a bull in musth cannot be trusted; a herd will reluctantly abandon an ill or injured member for the safety of the group. But there is an inherent goodness in elephants, to use another human quality, that is the foundation of their very being.

Researchers designate elephants as a prosocial species: in all the animal kingdom, they stand tall among a select group of creatures that show extensive compassion, empathy, and cooperative behaviour. When one of their own is distressed, they console them; when they see brethren in need, they try to help them. They celebrate life, mourn death, and do everything in their power to protect those they love.

When elephants sense danger — whether from predators, poachers, or even the mysterious tremors of an earthquake — the elder members of the herd immediately and instinctively gather around the young, forming a defensive circle with the most vulnerable at the centre. They stand facing outward, ready to confront whatever nefarious force threatens them head-on.

People all over the world have marvelled at the selflessness and bravery of elephants when witnessing such moments. It is extraordinary — but not at all unusual. This is the very essence of elephants. A noble altruism runs through their veins and is wired into their brains.

This love and loyalty is not confined to their own kin or even their own species. Elephants don’t define family on a genetic level; their definition of family is much more complex and nuanced. For the orphans rescued through our Orphans’ Project, that family includes a very special group of people — the Keepers who raised them.

Over the years, so many stories — both extraordinary accounts and small, everyday actions — bear testament to that fact. As the orphans grow up and go wild, they seem to realise that the torch has been passed. While their Keepers raised them through their infancy, they are now the leaders in the wilds of Tsavo. Just as their human family protected them through their most vulnerable chapters, it is time for them to step up as the guardians.

Joseph Sauni, Head Keeper at our Voi Reintegration Unit, has so many stories to share in this vein. Voi sits in the vast, open plains of southern Tsavo East. Lions are a fixture here, playing their natural role in a balanced ecosystem. Our Keepers are well-versed in life alongside Kenya’s predators — but still, the orphans cannot help but step up as their guardians.

During Emily’s reign as Voi matriarch, there was a harrowing afternoon when lions prowled towards the herd. She responded immediately and unprompted, organising the orphans in a tight circle that entirely enveloped the Keepers. Working as one united front, the elephants formed a thunderous defense, kicking and trumpeting and thrashing their trunks, until the lions slunk off.

Another time, tragedy struck when a pride of lions honed in on the water hole and snatched a little orphaned zebra we were raising. Tundani, who was eight years old at the time, was positively heroic. The moment he saw the Keepers moving in to ward off the lions, he came barreling down the hill to join their efforts. Tundani lost his best friend, Nelion, to lions, and the memory obviously still haunted him. Despite knowing full well what the cats were capable of, he ran to support the Keepers without a moment’s hesitation.

While all the orphans are thoughtful about their Keepers, some take their custodianship to extraordinary levels. Lima Lima, at our Umani Springs Unit, is one such elephant. Entirely of her own accord, she has appointed herself the Keepers’ bodyguard. Even now that she has her own baby to look after, she makes it her business to protect her human family. If there is a leopard lurking on a branch or buffalos hiding in the bushes, Lima Lima will be the first to alert the troops. Sometimes, she can be a bit over-zealous in sounding the alarm — a few months ago, she came rushing over in a dither. The Keepers duly scanned the area to see what she had discovered, only to realise it was a harmless rock hyrax. Still, she has notified them of so many valid dangers over the years that they know to always heed her warning.

Lima Lima isn’t just a bodyguard, but also a first responder. One afternoon, a Keeper fell and hurt his eye. Lima Lima responded immediately to his shout of pain, dashing over and then trumpeting loudly to share his location with the rest of the team. As they waited for the others to arrive, she patted him with her trunk as if to console him and calm him down. Later that evening, Lima Lima was concerned to find the Keeper absent, as he had been taken to town to treat his eye. Before settling for her bottle, she went up to each and every man in green, trying to find her injured friend. For an elephant as milk-obsessed as Lima Lima, this was the ultimate sacrifice!

Our orphans also act as ambassadors, teaching wild elephants that this select group of humans can be accepted among their brethren. My mother, Daphne Sheldrick, had a remarkable encounter with an elephant she mistook for an ex-orphan. As she recounted in her memoir, Love, Life and Elephants: An African Love Story:

My mother was true to her word, using her voice to speak for these remarkable creatures who do not share our language yet manage to eclipse all that we define as ‘good.’

And now, I carry on her legacy. Elephants operate on a different wavelength, existing in a purer world than ours. They are governed by principals we will never fully understand but should certainly contemplate. And that can start by appreciating the depth of love that elephants are able to give, so intrinsically and unreservedly.