Grahame Robertson

Why do the orphans each have their own "room" at night? First, the reassuring part: a room of one's own doesn't mean sleeping alone. The orphans bed down on soft hay, surrounded by the comforting rumbles of the others, with a Keeper right beside them throughout the night. Neighbours often rumble to one another through the walls before settling down for sleep. As for the separate rooms themselves, there's one main reason: they allow the Keepers to provide one-to-one care, feed each orphan during the night and closely monitor how much every individual is eating and how they're doing. Each orphan has its own cosy, secure space – close to the herd, but a space of its own. As they grow older and need a little less support at night, they graduate to communal stockades, where they can enjoy the company of one another while also encountering nocturnal wild visitors that wander through.

Raising young orphaned elephants requires extraordinary commitment. From milk bottle feeds to night-time cuddles, and from first mud baths to graduating to a Reintegration Unit, we’re by their sides every step of the way. It also requires donors like you, who adopt and become part of our foster family, ensuring we can guide these babies back to a wild life. Become a foster parent today and adopt an orphan in our care: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/o…

How do you rescue an elephant calf from a septic tank? That's the conundrum our teams faced in Tsavo recently. Keepers raced to the scene alongside the SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit. Together, they devised a plan to save the trapped calf: fill the tank with water, float her to the surface, and then pull her safely onto solid ground. It was the moment her mother had been waiting for. The herd had remained nearby throughout the ordeal, visibly distressed but clearly not ready to give up hope. The reunion at the end speaks for itself – turn up the sound to hear the trumpets of joy. Read the full rescue story: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/n…

Easier the second time around? For Murera, it was! When Murera had her first calf, Mwana, it took the two of them a little while to work out how to nurse. Our Keepers stepped in, collecting milk from Murera and giving it to Mwana in a bottle so she’d get that vital colostrum and those antibodies. Eleven days later, things clicked, and mother and daughter began a nursing relationship that lasted until Murera fell pregnant again. Earlier this week, Murera gave birth to her second calf and, as many second-time mums can attest, things slotted into place straight away for her and Mwezi. We couldn’t be prouder of our matriarch! Discover the magical story behind Mwezi’s birth: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/n…