Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
@SheldrickTrust
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Pioneers in the rescue, rehabilitation & rewilding of orphaned elephants and rhinos, we actively work to conserve all wildlife and wilderness areas in Kenya.
Kenya
Joined May 2009
Happy birthday to Mzinga who's just turned 1! Being so young, she's still mastering the intricacies of her trunk, which she's always loved to play with it! A small elephant with big character & so love for life, we couldn’t be more proud of her progress.
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Apollo loves a belly rub & a comforting horn rub before bedtime 🦏. Read how he came to be into our care:
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Bedtime nose rubs for a very special baby . This orphaned black rhino is 1 of an estimated 745 individuals left in Kenya. His mum died of natural causes so we’re caring for him now & will continue to until he is old enough to return to the protected wild:
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Mwana is quite the athlete. Before retiring for the night, she plays a game of 'milk bottle football' with Sora, one of the Keepers who helped to raised her mother, Murera. During the day, mother & daughter roam freely. Come nightfall, Murera currently chooses to return to our
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This #WorldRhinoDay, we're celebrating Raha! Her name means ‘joy’ in Swahili. It's a fitting word to associate with this brave little rhino who has overcome enormous odds to be here today, much like her species as a whole. She arrived in our care 1 year ago; this was filmed soon
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Spa day for orphan baby elephants at our Kaluku Neonate Unit. The pampering ritual helping to keep the orphans’ skin hydrated & supple, & afford our Keepers and their tiny charges some sweet bonding time.
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Doldol may be a force of nature, but we can all use a helping hand sometimes - or four helping hands, for that matter! The tiniest orphan we’ve ever rescued, you can be a part of this gorgeous girl’s journey by adopting her. Learn more at:
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Our Nursery Herd head back to their bedrooms shortly after 5pm, where bottles of milk await them. With a full tummy, the youngest elephants often waste little time clambering onto a mattress to fall asleep. With a Keeper close by to tuck them in with a blanket! #SweetDreams
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#didyouknow elephants carve pathways through impenetrable bush, create water pools in dried up riverbeds & shape entire ecosystems as they spread seeds. They are guardians of their environment & the animals that share it with them are better off because of their existence.
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Say hello to Quanza 👋. She’s a little shy of humans (understandably, since her mother was killed by poachers) and is learning how to live as a wild elephant at our Umani Springs Reintegration Unit.
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Big news from the Nursery: Raha has started eating solids! She has discovered that she has a voracious appetite & is constantly munching away - sound up to hear for yourself. This is a wonderful development in her healing journey: You might recall Raha’s rear end was completely
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Big news in a perfect package!. Sunday 1st September began with the most beautiful surprise in Tsavo, when wild-living orphan Loijuk returned to our Ithumba stockades in the early hours to share with us her pride and joy - a newborn female calf whom we have named Lili.
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Doldol then – and now. Orphaned as a newborn, she was initially kept alive by a constant stream of formula milk. Today, although she’s still milk-dependent, her diet has expanded – she can now pick greens like a pro! See how she’s blossomed in our care:
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Look, no hands! It can take orphans a while to master their long noses which contain 1000’s of muscles. At 5 years old, Kiasa is now in full control over hers - even strong enough to hold her own milk bottle.
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The orphans in our care know firsthand that it’s not how you fall. It’s how you get back up again. Each has their own unique story of rescue, recovery & resilience. Meet the tiny trunks who have found sanctuary with us until they can return to the wild:
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After a morning spent browsing on the luscious green grass carpeting Tsavo, the orphans at our Voi Reintegration Unit certainly pick up the pace when they know their bottles of milk are waiting…
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Picture this: An impossibly tiny rhino calf trotting about with a brightly coloured blanket on her back, pushing & prodding her little button horn into all she encounters. That’s Raha! Get to know this pint-sized beauty
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Raha’s got such a spring in her step that Keeper Kevin has to be quick to land the blanket on her back! After 8 long months of recovery, this little lady now lights up the Nursery in her colourful ‘outfits’, squeaking greetings to everyone she meets:
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A couple of days ago, we shared that Doldol still loves her naps - and here’s the evidence! She takes an early morning stroll each day, but it can be tiring work for little legs, so sometimes she stops for an impromptu nap on Keeper Mishak's lap.
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This is our favourite kind of family portrait: orphan elephant Naisula & her calf Nyx. This scene almost didn’t happen: When Naisula was 2 years old, she was orphaned, likely by poachers. Some calves don’t survive such loss, but she did. Raised by our Keepers, today she is a
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Baby elephant goes in search of a trunk hug. Finds one ❤️. This little scamp is none other than Doldol. She was abandoned soon after birth & caring for her has been a true labour of love for our Keepers, who have plied her with comfort & affection every day since her rescue. From
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Someone’s got that #FridayFeeling! . This is Tom Tom, an orphaned gazelle in the care of our Nairobi Nursery. When he’s fully grown, he’ll be able to leap up to 10m high in the air #FridayFacts
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This tiny antelope is Tickey, an orphan dik-dik in our care. We feed her a specialist formula milk so she can grow strong & healthy, so that she can reintegrate into wild populations when grown.
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Rescued baby black rhino Raha is very inquisitive, pushing & prodding all she encounters with her little button nose; where in time a horn will grow! Exiting her bedroom, fun adventures await her out in the forest with her Keepers.
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This isn’t a scene from a movie - it’s a genuine rescue that took place today by two SWT pilots. A tanker crossing from Galana to Kulalu was pushed off the causeway by raging floods & flipped on its side, the driver stranded in rising waters. Read more:
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Her milk is being mixed and a bottle will soon be delivered to her door, but it’s not coming fast enough for Raha. However, she is a resourceful little rhino and she’s figured out a way to self-soothe while she waits - sucking on Keeper Kevin’s trousers!
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We thought we’d introduce Natibu later today… but apparently, he couldn’t wait to make his debut! Considering his claustrophobia-inducing rescue story, which you can read here: it's a real triumph to see this little chap today, bright-eyed & content.
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Mwinzi's got some swagger. After a night in his cosy (greens filled) stable, & a morning bottle of milk, he exits to find his entourage ready & waiting to accompany him out for the day! Meet the calf, who has almost everyone wrapped around his tiny trunk!
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Amazing what you can find in a Keepers coat pocket. Determined little pickpocket Mwinzi is an orphan of drought. He knows true hardship first-hand but his days of deprivation are behind him & thanks to constant snacks, his tummy is get rounder & rounder.
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Raha didn’t have the best start, but things are finally looking up! At 1 week old, she found herself without a mother & at the mercy of predators. Her recovery has been slow but, 8 months on, we see a rhino full of purpose. Help Raha on her way by adopting her:
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Hometime pocket rocket Nyambeni’s so fast we’re having to catch up to wish her a happy 1st birthday (yesterday!) Nyambeni’s alive today thx to a farmer who - hearing her cries - went to great lengths to save her. Discover this small & mighty girl’s story
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Someone is up early and can’t wait to open their Christmas presents! #merrychristmas from Natibu and all of us at the SWT.
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Maarifa, the baby white #rhino loves to play - the #rhinocharge is definitely her favourite game, though she's yet to master the skill of braking! See more of her in action at
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Nusu is the calf of Nasalot, an orphaned #elephant we rescued, raised & returned back to the wild. He’s only a baby but has bags of confidence – just see… With your help, our field teams are keeping this family safe & protected #FlashbackFriday
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Mzinga arrived in our care as a fragile newborn. She was found utterly alone but this moment signalled the start of her new family (it was filmed 24 hours after her rescue!). Tiny & trusting, she took to Keeper Sammy straightaway. The rest is history:
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In the wild, baby elephants sleep surrounded by their herd. We replicate that comforting experience at the Nursery by having a Keeper offer company & care throughout the night. A cozy blanket for the youngest orphans give them an added layer of warmth as they sleep.
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Nusu is a baby #elephant born to Nasalot, an orphan we rescued, raised & reintegrated back into the wild. He’s always been brimming with energy and full of bravado – seen here when he was just 3 months old!
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Exactly 3 mths ago, a baby elephant was born in the leafy paradise of the Kibwezi Forest. Every birth is cause for celebration, but this was extra special. Not only was this baby the 1st born to our Umani herd, but her arrival was a miracle in & of itself
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RIP Tim. Kenya lost a giant today. An elephant bull of 50 years old, he died of natural causes. He was a daily reminder that we share this earth with giants who are more impressive and far more beneficial to the health of the planet than we can ever hope to be.
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There's a new calf on the block! Born on Saturday night, mum brought baby to meet their extended family. 51st baby born to an orphan we rescued, raised, & helped back to the wild. We'll reveal all later, for now, we leave you to enjoy Noah, Nasalot's 2nd calf, meeting the newbie
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Rule #1 of nap time: everyone must be touching. Muwingu & Sileita started out an elephant’s length apart but they quickly shuffled to rectify things. The addition of little Mageno completed the slumber circle. Sileita is shaping up to be an excellent matriarch. This new
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With so much rain recently, puddles have turned into baths at Ithumba and the main mud bath has turned into a giant swimming pool! Your donations ensure these orphans can safely frolic to their hearts content as they continue their journey towards a wild life #thankyou
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Forging bonds with rescued orphaned animals takes time, patience & a lot of love. Often it’s the little things – soothing scratches, a comforting ear rub or simply hovering close by. It all adds up, ensuring the orphans – like Raha - know they can count on us to protect them.
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Looks who's learned to hold her own bottle! Amali's an orphan of last year's drought; rescued in October & brought directly to Umani Springs. With an independent streak, she's seen her older herd-mates feed themselves & decided, if they can do it, so can I
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If the Umani orphans had a slogan, it would be ‘no elephant is left behind’. Despite several of the elephants here having life-long disabilities that affect their ability to walk long distances, the herd has always stuck together. Now with baby Mwana in the mix, it takes on a
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It's a boy! Meet the newest kid on the savanna, Chapa! Born Tuesday night, he’s ex-orphan Chaimu’s first baby, and the 62nd known calf born to an orphan we rescued, raised, and rewilded. Full story:.#newbaby
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5pm is bedtime for orphan elephants like Mapia at our Nursery. After a long day out exploring Nairobi National Park, the orphans receive continued milk feeds & comfort throughout the night from our Keepers ensuring nobody goes to bed feeling hungry – or alone! 🍼🍼🐘
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Bondeni by name, mischievous by nature! Now 4 yrs old, this little bull’s been keeping his Keepers on their toes since his early days in Kaluku. Now at our Nairobi Nursery, he remains the chief instigator of hijinks
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Raha is growing in confidence daily but is still sounding out the forest (her future home) & its sights, sounds & smells. Her Keepers provide a constant comforting presence & when she’s feeling tired or a little nervous, their trouser leg as the perfect pacifier & soother.
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Toto can’t wait to meet you!. Tiny, hairy & always dressed to impress, Toto is ready to make his debut on our foster program. We’ll share his extraordinary story later today — watch this space 📷
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1. Early morning and rescued orphan black rhino Apollo is awake and asking for his milk.
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Best known for our work raising orphaned elephants, we also step in to save smaller #animals. Squeaky, a rescued orphan squirrel, is living his best life in our care.
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“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” Antoine de Saint Exupéry
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Someone woke up in an excellent mood! This smiley chap is Natibu. It’s extra poignant to see how happy he is today, given his history: When Natibu was just three months old, he was found submerged & stuck inside a tiny manhole. Rescued & brought into our care, you can become part
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Ivia has a spring in his step. This playful little buffalo calf is Ivia. Thanks to 24/7 care from our staff, he continues to thrive at our Kaluku HQ where he lives with other orphan animals, with the aim of reintegrating into the wild when grown #MeetTheHerd
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When it’s raining, we’ll often bring little orphan white rhino Maarifa into her warm stable for protection. Watch her trot into ‘her’ bedroom before the clouds break!
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Mwana was in high spirits as she led the Umani herd out to the forest. Keeper Adan rewarded her theatrics with an indulgent head pat, while besotted nannies Kiasa & Enkesha shadowed her every step - allowing Mwana’s mum, Murera, to go at her own pace.
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Ahmed has a taste for tea — Keeper Kevin’s tea, in particular! Most mornings, she sidles over to Kevin and turns it into a tea party for two. (Of course, she doesn’t actually take tea, but she likes to pretend!)
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Mutara was just a week old when rescued in 2009, her mother a suspected victim of ivory poaching! Humans turned Mutara's world upside down, but she found hope, love & a new family in us. Now living wild, she comes back often to spend time with her human family #ThrowbackThursday
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Baby boom! There are quite literally hundreds of tiny elephants toddling alongside their mothers, all born in recent months in Tsavo at the moment. If the gorgeous female bringing up the rear is any indication, there are more still on the way!
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A soft hanging blanket has an important calming effect on the youngest orphaned elephants in our care. Perfect for games like peekaboo, the babies love to play under them & all respond to its comforting presence because it must feel a bit like mum.
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They might be growing up fast but they’re still babies at heart who love their milk! Find out how our reintegration centres prepare orphaned elephants for a life back in the wild:
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Baby Nusu is 1 of 29 calves born to orphaned #elephants hand raised by #dswt & living back in the wild. Despite being tiny, he has the bravado of a fully grown bull - watch him show a rather surprised group of much older (and bigger elephants) who was boss!
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Meet Mr Bean! Rescued as a newborn, this tiny warthog is rivalled only by bushbaby Spencer in terms of his diminutive stature, but size isn't everything! After guzzling down his favourite treat, he tears around the compound, regularly showcasing his signature trick:
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Baby elephants are very fragile, inside & out — their delicate skin is susceptible to sunburn. In the wild, calves stand under their mums for shade. We have to improvise for the youngest babies, slathering their ears with sunscreen on very hot days. #TBT to Kamok at the Nursery
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‘Bedtime’ for orphan baby elephant Mukkoka. Aged just 18 months old, he is the youngest male orphan at our Nursery. After a day exploring Nairobi National Park & a night cap in the form of 2 bottles of milk, this little baby is all tuckered out and ready for ‘lights out’!
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A bedtime nose rub with orphan Apollo. Rhinos have roamed the earth for millions of years. Without them to diversity plant life & create grazing space, African landscapes could look very different. Learn all about these pachyderms this #WorldWildlifeDay:
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Hello from Laikipia! Swaggering up to the Voi Stockades to visit with the Keepers & dependent herd. Orphaned in 1999 - his mother a drought victim - he was terribly thin & weak. Seeing him today, an impressive, 24 yr old bull; that's what your support helps us achieve 4🐘
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Even at this difficult time, the work continues unabated and if anything, with a greater determination from all of us who have been touched and enriched by Daphne's extraordinary legacy. So that babies like this rescued orphan can enjoy life and have a future.
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Heading into #WorldElephantDay like….12th August is almost here – and some of us can barely contain our excitement! Join us tomorrow to celebrate all things #elephant as we work to secure a future for them, one day at a time.
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In the wild, baby elephants sleep under the protective shadow of their herd. At our Units, the orphans enjoy the reassuring presence of our Keepers, and a cosy blanket, as they recover:
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Just as she would in the wild, Raha likes to walk behind her mother (in this case, our Keepers). While no one can replace the mum she lost, this little rhino now has an entire team dedicated to helping her every step of the way. Join her foster family
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We have been waiting for the right moment to introduce you to Raha. This little rhino came to us in 2022, with extensive injuries — our priority since then has been to help her heal. At last, we feel she's out of the most precarious stage of her recovery. We can't wait for you to
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Yoga with Sonje 🧘After suffering injuries caused by an arrow or spear when she was just a baby, 7 year old orphan #elephant Sonje still walks with a limp. Every morning she stretches out on her very own ‘yoga mat’ to keep her leg limber before the herd heads out for the day.
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Elephants respect life. Something we as a species could better learn, especially considering the devastating impact humans are having on our own environment & on #elephants whose numbers have drastically fallen to 415,000 as a result of activities like poaching.
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As a tiny baby, Luggard might have found his trunk more of a hindrance than a help, tripping over or treading on it as he got used to his long nose. Now, he’s a self-taught pro in the art of lifting up and holding his own bottle to feed himself!
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We've rescued lots of orphaned #elephants recently. The very youngest need milk on demand, blankets to keep them warm and 24/7 Keeper care. While they are not yet available to adopt, you can still support them through a donation:
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Larro was found standing forlornly in the Masai Mara. Just 9 months old, there was no sign of her family or any other elephants in the area. She must have been so lonely!. Having been without her mother's milk for days, she was just skin & bones at rescue. But look at her now,
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Orphaned #elephant Ngilai is four years old and has lots of love to give. He’s happy to take a break from the mud bath to enjoy some quality time with Keeper Julius instead
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At the heart of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s lifesaving work is our Orphans’ Project. This #fosterfriday we bring you a reminder of a very special little orphan that recently came into our care, who enchants everyone she meets - black rhino Raha. We’ve shared her story… ⬇️
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A picture of Mwana to make your day a little brighter. You can thank us later!. Want to find out exactly why this cutie is giving us one for the future of elephants? See:
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Mwinzi is taking milk feedings into his own hands — or should we say… trunk!. This little chap is the latest addition to our foster family, you can read his story at
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Baby elephant treatment: Set upon by lions & suffering from septic bite wounds, emergency in-the-field care yesterday kept this young family together. Step one involved mobilising mum & baby, so the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit could treat the tiny victim. Next step. ⬇️
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Hello from Raha! She’s starting to show real pluck… one day chasing away a warthog who had the unbridled nerve to approach her from behind – a sore point for this brave girl who narrowly survived a predator attack before her rescue, causing catastrophic injuries to her rear end.
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An urgent call came in: 3 elephants were stuck in a deep & steep-sided dam, escape was impossible – without help! Teams from the SWT and KWS responded, and Wildlife Works loaned a backhoe, which we drove to the scene on our flatbed truck. After hours of digging, all 3 elephants
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Good night from Keeper Joseph & rescued calf Korbessa. Our Orphans' Project is all about giving orphaned elephants like Korbessa (& other wild animals) a second chance to embrace life. The best part? You can help the herd reclaim their birth right & return to the wild through an
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Elephants are tactile and this is especially important for infant calves. In the wild, these little ones would be coddled by family members, with trunks hugs and caresses. At our Nursery, the Keepers replicate this closeness, providing comfort and reassurance through touch.
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Weighing in at 478 grams - that’s just over a pound – when she was rescued, Tickey is a truly tiny dik-dik who has joined our Kaluku orphan herd. 3 weeks on & a few grams heavier given her love of milk, Tickey is thriving!
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Though she be but little, she is fierce! Doldol may be our tiniest ever rescue, but her personality is big enough to fill the whole of Kaluku. This #FosterFriday, you can help this extraordinary little orphan lead an extraordinary (and wild) life:
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🔊 Whale calls might be better known, but we don’t think much beats the sweet sounds of a baby rhino! Listen back to orphan black rhino Apollo’s calls to his Keepers, shortly after his rescue
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