One of the last things I did before I left Kenya was to visit the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust aka the Elephant Orphanage. Located on the outskirts on Nairobi in Karen, at the edge of the Nairobi game park, this wildlife perserve is home to orphaned elephants, rhinos and other animals.
Right now the orphanage is home to 19 elephants between 4 months and 3 years old. The majority have come to the orphanage because their mother's have been killed by poachers. The organization of the orphanage is quite sophisticated.
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| Lunch time |
Baby elephants are fed formula every three hours by a caregiver. These caregivers are with them 24/7, making sure that they do not fall prey to nearby lions and hyenas. This allows them to survive, yet remain partially in the wild during the day. At night, they are put to bed in stalls by the caregivers and covered with hay and blankets to protect them from the chilly temperatures. Normally they would seek protection by staying close to their mothers.
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| Snuggling between two babies |
Once the elephants reach age 3, they are moved to a rehabilitation center. Their contact with the caregivers starts being phased out so they can begin being more fully re-introduced to the wild. The goal of the rehabilitation center is to reintroduce the young elephants to the wild and help them "forget" their human family members.
These babies were incredibly fun to watch and learn about. For more information, visit: http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
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| These larger "toddlers" can hold their own bottles. |
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| This little guy wears a blanket to help regulate body temperature. |
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