CLOSE-UP WITH WILDLIFE IN NAIROBI, KENYA: Part 1,Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Guest Post by Humberto Gutierrez Rivas

Young elephants at the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Center, Nairobi, Kenya

With many thanks to Humberto Gutierrez Rivas for his report and terrific photos of his family's trip to Kenya last January. His post about their wildlife experiences near Nairobi is in three parts, the first appearing today, and parts 2 and 3 in the following weeks.

This past January our family had the trip of a lifetime to Kenya for 12 days to visit friends in Nairobi, go on safari, and visit the island of Lamu.  There were many highlights of this trip, and one that got it started happened right there in the city of Nairobi.  

Less than 8 hours after our arrival, we were met at the front door of our friends’ house by Amos, our guide, and his safari van.  Our friends had coordinated a day expedition for us to Nairobi’s National Park, the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage center, and Giraffe Center.

Amos drove us from the north to the south part of the city to get us to the park, so we also got to see the early morning activities of people walking to bus stops, walking to work, and opening shops along the road.

Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage

Our first stop was The Elephant Orphanage, operated by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and located within Nairobi National Park. Every day, for just one hour, they open the doors of the orphanage center for people to meet rescued elephants and rhinos.

Young elephants get fed two bottles of special formula milk every 3 hours day and night. 

You can’t miss the caretakers, they all wear green coats.  Each orphan has its own stall where they sleep with their caretakers. The elephants come running to the showing area when they are called, and people gather around this area. There are no metallic fences or bars between you and the animals, just a rope, so it’s close and personal.

Orphan stall.

This is the place they retire in the evening where they rest with their caretakers.  They rotate caretakers each night so the animals don’t get attached to any one person.

Caretakers carry big milk bottles with them and some kids and adults feed the elephants tree branches from behind the ropes. 

Elephants come to the showing area each day to become part of the story and mission of the orphanage. 

While one of the caretakers tells the story of why animals end up at the center, and the different parts of the country animals come from, the elephants push and play with each other. 

We heard about the mission of the organization, and we decided to contribute by adopting an elephant for Caroline Arnold.  Her name is Nyambeni. The hour went very fast. 

Sheldrick Wildlife truck at the entrance of the orphanage center.

The Baby Elephant Fostering Program

Adoption certificate for Nyambeni and painting by Angela Sheldrick.

Nyambeni

Gender:    Female

Date born: 1st February 2022

Area found: Meru Region, Imenti Forest

Age on arrival:  3 months old

Comments on place found: Found all alone, stuck in a muddy ditch.

Reasons for being orphaned:  Stuck in a ditch.

The baby elephant fostering program includes a description of the circumstances in which the adopted baby elephant was found, a monthly highlight via email of events at the sanctuary along with a direct link to the Keeper's Diary with notes on particular elephants, and a monthly watercolor painting by Angela Sheldrick.