We’d love to know what these two are saying. We bet Challa (the big one) has a few good stories to share! Both elephants are living wild, but their backgrounds could hardly be more different. Twenty-two-year-old Challa was orphaned as a calf and latched onto a herd of cows for company. He grew up at our Nursery and then our Ithumba Unit, raised by our Keepers until he was ready to go wild. Little Mambo, meanwhile, has only ever known a wild life. His mother, Mutara, was an orphan like Challa. We returned her to the wild, where she went on to start a family (Mambo is the eldest of her two calves). Now multi-generational herds live in Tsavo, and it all started with a rescue. Help make more stories like this possible: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

Our Voi mamas are home for breakfast! We had a full house at the stockades as ex-orphan mother-and-baby pairs poured in. Keeper Walter captured the lovely morning mayhem, which included mums Mweya, Mbirikani, Kihari, Sagalla, Arruba, and Naipoki. We love these family reunions, which show the power of your donations. Every big elephant here was orphaned as an infant and raised in our care with the help of our donors, and now they are living wild and nurturing their own families. If you’d like to help feed an orphaned elephant, you can do so here: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/s…

With a year at the Nursery under her belt, Alia is reaching new heights! Rescue brought lone orphan Alia out of the wilderness, where she was barely fending for herself, and into the sanctuary of our Nairobi Nursery. She arrived shy but, as she recovered, she emerged as a quiet, bright girl and a talented nanny. This morning she took a break from looking after the little ones and, feeling especially intrepid, climbed up to enjoy some tasty, usually out-of-reach greens! You can become part of her journey back to the wild through an adoption and support the cost of specialised milk formula, round-the-clock Keeper care, veterinary treatments and more: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

So much news from Umani, so little space! Kiasa is pregnant, Sonje has been courting, and Murera is due her second baby any day now. Our now-wild bulls have been in touch, too: Jasiri, Ziwa and Kiombo all came calling. And that’s just a few of our wild-living orphans. As for the babies, they’re living their best lives, one scratch at a time in Zigi’s case. Catch up with the Keepers’ Diaries for the latest from across our Orphans’ Project: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/k…

Just hours old, and tiny Chili is already getting a tour of Ithumba. It started with introductions to the Keepers who raised her mother, Chyulu, followed by a tour of the troughs that help sustain her herd through the dry season. In elephant society, knowledge is passed from mother to daughter. When Chyulu lost her mother, we stepped in to raise her. Now she is living wild and teaching her own growing family how the world works. This scene has been years in the making. After years in our care, Chyulu has adapted to the wild, joined a herd, mated and nurtured new life. Your support makes it all possible: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/d…

What’s a girl to do when the bossy big girls won’t let Talek get a look in with the babies? Lie down on the forest floor, wave her trunk about, and invite the cheekier members of the herd to play! Arthi couldn’t resist. Given half a chance (when Mzinga allows), Talek shows a real nurturing side. We know her time will come eventually. It was the kindness of a huge bull that probably saved her life, after he let the lone orphan tag along in the Mara wilderness, home to plenty of opportunistic big cats. But since he couldn’t provide the milk she needed to survive, we were asked to rescue her. She’s been with us ever since and will stay until she’s ready to rejoin the wild. Adopt Talek: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

Notty has been branching out, mingling more and more with the residents of Nairobi National Park’s forest. Games of chase with orphaned elephants Wamata, Arthi and Daba have been the order of the day. They were slightly more willing playmates than the herd of impala who – to no ones surprise except Notty’s – didn’t run from the zebra! Rescued after her mother fatally fell from a cliff, she is growing up at our Nursery until she is ready to return to the wild.

A sight we’ll never tire of. Our ex-orphans came to visit on Sunday, and Nesheshi had the honour of leading the herd. Hers was one of our most challenging rescues. After her mother was shot and killed, she very nearly wasted away, and reaching her meant airlifting her in a customised sling beneath our helicopter from a remote corner of Laikipia. This video is why we moved heaven and earth to save her: we could give her the family and support she needed to survive and return to the wild. And she has. Discover her story: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

Bungalu has recently unveiled a little habit 🍼 When he arrives for his milk bottle – always at a steady, determined plod – he delicately twists the fingers of his trunk around the handle, almost as one might grasp a teacup. Though he isn’t yet strong enough to hold a full bottle by himself, by the time he has guzzled most of its contents, he can hold the bottle aloft unaided. Look how proud he looks! A survivor of storms, lion attacks, and several weeks on his own, Bungalu now has the round-the-clock care, companionship, and love he needs to grow up strong and, one day, return to the wild. Find out how you can support him through an adoption: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

It’s an Umani pool party and everyone is invited! Ex-orphan Sonje even brought a potential wild bull suitor along, although he kept his distance while everyone had a good swim. Spot matriarch Murera in the background with her broken tusk – she is due her second calf any day now and took pains to give the visitor a wide berth, roping in youngsters Kerrio and Kiasa to be part of an early warning system if the suitor changed direction. Meet our extraordinary herd that lives here, made up of still-dependent youngsters, older orphans who roam wild, and a growing number of wild-born babies. Follow our Umani orphans in the Keepers’ Diaries at: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/k…

All eyes are on Sulwe for now. But in a couple of years, a new brother or sister might be the centre of everyone’s attention, given that her mother, ex-orphan Sonje, has recently been courting wild bulls in the area. In the meantime, baby fever is set to reach new heights at our Umani Springs Reintegration Unit, where six of our seven older girls are currently pregnant. Since they live wild, we’re treated to antenatal visits of sorts when they choose to return to the Unit. Luckily for us, that’s every few days, giving our Keepers the chance to check on their progress and enjoy moments like this with the growing families. Catch up with our Keepers' Diaries: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/k…

From his bright button eyes to his perfectly round ears, his roly-poly antics and his absolute adoration for his Keepers, Bumpy has captured hearts at our Kaluku Unit for orphaned wild animals. Just a few short months ago, he was found alone and frightened. Today, his days are spent splashing in his pool, sleeping by his Keeper’s side and forging friendships. In time, a life in the wild will beckon, too! Discover more pictures of Bumpy: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/n…

What started with two elephants has blossomed into a herd. Murera and Sonje both had poacher-inflicted injuries that required a different approach to rewilding – and so our Umani Springs reintegration unit was built. Today, eighteen elephants have taken the next steps towards the wild from here. Some have reintegrated so successfully that they’ve gone on to start their own families in the wild. In the coming weeks, we also expect our OG Umani orphan, Murera, to give birth to her third calf. Exciting times ahead for our Umani herd! Meet the orphans: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

Baby elephants don’t get much cuter than Comet. Born just last week, she is fresh from the womb but already walking around and doing what infant elephants are wont to do: sticking by Mum and figuring out how everything works. Her mum, Chaimu, is an orphan we raised and returned to the wild. She has a stellar support network around her to nurture Comet through her infancy – and, as doting grandparents, we can’t wait to watch this beautiful little girl grow up in the wilds of Tsavo. Read: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/n…

Notty the zebra never misses a chance to join the elephants – and this time, she’s found a willing playmate in Alia! That’s quite a turnaround. When Alia is looking after one of the younger elephants, she takes her nanny duties very seriously. Just last month, the Keepers watched her block Notty’s path and send the persistent zebra straight back towards her best friend Tytan, a black rhino. It’s quite an eclectic herd! But there are no nanny duties today – and no blocked paths in sight! With Alia in a more playful mood, Notty has seized her chance for some elephant-sized fun. Follow the Nursery’s daily antics in the Keepers’ Diaries: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/k…

Wild elephants are part of our story. The Keepers at Ithumba know this wild female so well that she's earned her own nickname – the Crazy One. When she first began visiting, her unpredictable behaviour kept the Keepers on their toes. But over time, a mutual respect has developed between them, and these days she is a much more familiar presence. In August, she brought her two calves on a visit, joining the orphans for lucerne and at the mud bath. This is exactly what we work to create – safe spaces with water and browse where wild elephants feel safe and secure. See who else has visited recently in the Keepers' Diaries: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/k…