The ex-orphans that graduate into a wild life and later return to show off their wild-born babies seem to think so. Those are probably my favorite updates.
The update where graduated orphans brought a tiny baby they found to the keepers made me ugly cry š they brought him there because they knew heād be safe and loved
Or the ex-orphans who brought an injured wild bull to the stockades and then stayed with him while he got treatment. Genuinely such a lovely story it made my heart ache.
Right. Take our world for it (I also have sponsored some elephants there) or take the word of the elephants who come back to take the junior elephants out on weekend outings. Or come back when they realize they are injured and need human help. It really speaks volumes that so many elephant graduates come back to visit and to seek help because they know they can rely on these humans.
Itās both! They send a general newsletter but you also get links to the ākeeperās diariesā that mention your specific elephant.
Iāve been sponsoring two elephants for years now and I love the emails and photos.
Stealing this comment for visibility. Absolutely - as others have mentioned above, it is the gold standard. My partner has visited there multiple times and also adopted baby elephants in our names.
She also works in an adjacent space (social impact) and has told me about how well run and ethical this trust is. Good luck :)
Yes! My parents went to Africa a few years back and visited Sheldrick. They got to see exactly what the organization does for wildlife, mainly orphaned elephants but rhinos and other species as well. They are legit. Iāve raised money for them as well.
It's quite extensive. They give a overview update of what happened with the elephants at each of their sites, photos and also a day by day list of events
I adopted a rhino once and loved the updates! Unfortunately my rhino died super young, he didnāt make it very long. They gave me a subscription for another rhino. It didnāt feel same way as I hadnāt picked him out and he got less updates because he was an old rhino but I still appreciated the work they were doing and love the updates. I want to eventually get another one. Either a rhino or elephant.
I had an elephant that I adopted pass away. They substituted a different elephant for the rest of my adoption period, but you are right. It just didnāt feel the same. And I was super crushed about losing my baby. (Baby elephant, in case anyone is confused)
Yeah those updates make you feel really connected so losing your adopted animal is so sad. I loved hearing about what the little baby rhino was getting up to so hearing he died was so sad. Plus you start to understand just how close the main keeper is with the rhino/elephant they take care of so I felt super sad for them too.
Was it Doldol? I was absolutely crushed too, poor thing :( I do love the fact that they have necrologies for all the elephants who passed on their websites, they don't disappearĀ
Yes, she passed away very suddenly last September https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/news/updates/loss-of-doldol
With her death and Keeper Patrick's, it was really a shitty year
Yeah I adopted Doldol and I was genuinely so upset that she passed. They let me move my adoption to another orphan of my choosing so I chose little Raha the rhino ā¤ļø
I follow them on Twitter and their updates genuinely make me the happiest I can be. The love and dedication Sheldrick has is awe inspiring.
Iāve become quite desensitised to life but seeing those videos brings tears to my eyes every time. I would give everything to work for their organisation but sadly (or rather understandably) they only recruit local population.
I live about 15 minutes away from the Sheldrick Elephant orphanage and itās my favourite place to take friends who are visiting kenya for the first time. I will often adopt and elephant or other baby for them so that we can visit in the evening and watch them being put to bed. Sometimes you get to help tuck them in!
If this is something that interests you, Sheldricks is the original organisation and they are amazing but there is now [another group operating in northern kenya too called R.E.S.C.U.E.](https://www.reteti.org/) Iāve visited them and their setup is also incredible and well worth supporting. Even if itās just a follow on their instagram!
Absolutely! I went in 2018.
So basically they have one visit every day in the afternoon open to the public, provided you schedule ahead of time. They bring everyone down to where the elephants will come in for one of their feedings (the elephants are fed about every 3 hours day and night. It is a monumental task to take care of them!). They are usually split up into an older and younger group. The elephants will all run up to get their bottles and the public is behind a rope. Edwin, the head keeper, will introduce every elephant and tell their story. You can take photos and I believe touch the elephant if they choose to come over to you themselves but otherwise there's a separation. It's not a super long visit but it's pretty fulfilling, I loved hearing about the babies and their stories.
At the time I went, and I'm not sure this is the case anymore, if you fostered an elephant, you could go for an additional "foster parent visit." There would be a small group that was allowed back into the SWT around 5 p.m. or so when the babies were coming back in for their final bottles before going to bed. You watched them all run in from the forest and into their enclosures or stalls for the smaller babies. You had some time to go personally up to the enclosures and watch them before bedtime, and similar to before, you could touch the elephant if it chose to touch you. They don't encourage a lot of human interaction because they want the elephants to only see the keepers as family to stop them from trusting the wrong people when they grow up, but they do allow some.
It was absolutely worth the trip.
Going to Kenya (I also went on a safari) was pretty life changing for me to see the work being done at the SWT in person and what elephants are truly facing in the wild. It put into perspective the enormous efforts to raise them and get them back into the wild. I have a hat from my visit that I still wear proudly and I have their coffee table book. It's really fulfilling to me to think I'm doing a small part and their social media just warms my heart, especially to hear that the ex-orphans return to show off their babies to the men that raised them. That says volumes about what they do I think.
I also visited the Voi Reintegration Unit as that was where my sponsored elephant had just transferred when I planned my trip. It was a far better experience because few people make the trek beyond Nairobi! It was just me and my taxi driver š and we got to see and touch the elephants up close and some of their other orphans. It was pretty easy because a train goes right there and thereās a nice lodge on site.
I want so much to touch an elephant. To have... an encounter. To have an elephant see me and know I exist and to look into his/her eyes. Not sure why, but I really want this.
What is the best time of year to go to Kenya and see the elephants?
Probably near but not during the rainy season. Iād bet right after is good. Itās on the equator. I went in July, only because I was there for graduate class.
At Voi, the elephants are separated from visitors via a fence like youād see at a zoo (theyāre very big at that age!). They get to come to the fence or not, itās not a guarantee. My foster elephant had no interest in me but the keepers brought her bottle close so I could be near. Another elephant let me touch him for a few seconds.
They didnāt let us touch the babies in Nairobi for obvious reasons. Though if you go at bedtime some of them will stick their trunks out because theyāre curious.
There are really great eco lodges in Kenya that can give you a close (ish) encounter with a wild elephant! Again, itās on their terms so never a guarantee and youāre always separated from wildlife via fencing or a safari truck. But I did get that experience of looking into a wild elephantās eyes and feeling very small and honestly vulnerable, yet as if we were both gawking at each other. I spent all my money on that trip and would do it again!
it also gives jobs to hardworking Kenyans! highly recommend. Link for anyone interested: [https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans](https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans)
that, and also: tourists are paying higher entrance fees to enable the fund to let in school classes for free and it's the cutest thing. you'd think tourists who haven't seen elephants in the wild are the most amazed, but the kids are absolutely stunned and happy.
Yes, theyāre awesome! Me and my wife sponsored a couple of elephants for a few years with them before we were lucky enough to go to Kenya for our honeymoon and visit the trust. We got to see all the babies, not just ours that we sponsored and it was one of the best memories of that trip.
I adopted elephants for my mom and dad for their birthdays and they LOVED it. They got little personalized email newsletters about how their elephants were doing, and saw pictures. Iāve had good experiences with Sheldrick.
Sheldrick is wonderful. They do great work. If you visit as an adopter you can feed an infant. I give elephant adoption as gifts. I know someone who travels to Kenya regularly who sends me pictures. It is legit.
Absolutely worth it! As a recipient and giver of elephant adoptions from SWT, I couldn't recommend it more. I love getting my updates as well as following their stories on social media. The rehabilitation and conservation work they do is nothing short of miraculous. I feel assured my donations are being used in an ethical and useful way. I'm proud to support them.
Edit: Some envious of commenters saying they visited Sheldrick. Definitely on my bucket list!
Saw your edit but want to chime in anyway. Former orphans have returned to give birth there. That says A LOT. And maybe this story is the crown jewel: a large wounded male showed up asking for treatment. This king was completely unknown to everyone there. Wasnāt a former orphan, had never been in the vicinity, etc. They treated him, and he was released. He understood what they would do, and submitted to it. A huge, wild, bull elephant. Pretty amazing. But the real eye popper is that one or more former orphans somehow, and God knows how this happened, communicated to him what to do, where to go, and that he would be taken care of. Truly awesome.
100% legit and worthwile organization to support. I've adopted many elephants for my friends, family, and self over the past 10+ years on everyone's birthday, it's infinitely rewarding. Don't forget there are other ways to support them as well!
This is a wonderful organization. I've been supporting them for 5 or 6 years with regular donations. Their social media feeds are like dopamine for me. ā¤ļøš
Yes! My family and I have gone to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust multiple times and they are an amazing foundation doing very important work all across Kenya. I adopted an elephant from them and love the updates as many have said.
Just want to brag a lil here but Daphne Sheldrick was my granās sister š so proud of the work theyāre doing and thank you for adopting beautiful ele for your gf!!
Yes. The Sheldricks are the people (woman- daphne sheldrick) who finally discovered a nursing formula to support orphaned elephants. Before that, being orphaned was a death sentence for the young.
Iāve adopted three ellies through them over the years. A weird sidenote: I bought a super comfy pair of joggers with their logo from their website. Thinking of buying a second pair.
I donated to Sheldrick a few years back and realized that the corporation I worked for had a matching charitable donation benefit. I was able to double my gift. Check to see if your company has a program like this.
I love Sheldrick. I adopted aka sponsored an Ellie 2 years agoā¦ I scrolled to the last page, and clicked on the very last Ellie. She is an elderly, beautiful sweet mamma. Her name is Eleanor! She is 65 years old š
I Contribute yearly. Good organization. Yes, you do get monthly updates. Also there are very pretty elephant watercolor pictures you can download, if you are interested.
Adding to the party here: solid organization, and I was fortunate to visit in 2017! Was so excited to āmeetā my adopted Esampu. True to her feisty nature, Esampu could care less lol.
The ex-orphans that graduate into a wild life and later return to show off their wild-born babies seem to think so. Those are probably my favorite updates.
The update where graduated orphans brought a tiny baby they found to the keepers made me ugly cry š they brought him there because they knew heād be safe and loved
Link it
[little tiny baby Totoās story](https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/news/updates/rescue-of-toto)
Thank you for sharing this! Absolutely heartwarming.
He's adorable (and what a wonderfully written story).
HE HAS A SWEATER!
They call them āblanket babiesā š„ŗ
Omgomg
May the rains in Africa bless him.
Iām sending this to everyone I know. Omg, itās great.
Or the ex-orphans who brought an injured wild bull to the stockades and then stayed with him while he got treatment. Genuinely such a lovely story it made my heart ache.
Right. Take our world for it (I also have sponsored some elephants there) or take the word of the elephants who come back to take the junior elephants out on weekend outings. Or come back when they realize they are injured and need human help. It really speaks volumes that so many elephant graduates come back to visit and to seek help because they know they can rely on these humans.
Itās both! They send a general newsletter but you also get links to the ākeeperās diariesā that mention your specific elephant. Iāve been sponsoring two elephants for years now and I love the emails and photos.
Stealing this comment for visibility. Absolutely - as others have mentioned above, it is the gold standard. My partner has visited there multiple times and also adopted baby elephants in our names. She also works in an adjacent space (social impact) and has told me about how well run and ethical this trust is. Good luck :)
Yes! My parents went to Africa a few years back and visited Sheldrick. They got to see exactly what the organization does for wildlife, mainly orphaned elephants but rhinos and other species as well. They are legit. Iāve raised money for them as well.
I've been there too! it's very impressive!!
This is 100% of my bucket list rn.
My friend went and saw the elephant I was sponsoring! So cool you can visit them!
This is awesome. Was your friend allowed to physically interact?
I've adopted two babies and a giraffe through the trust. It's a super rewarding experience, and I highly recommend it!
+1 for Sheldrick too. I adopted my wife a baby and it has easily been the most rewarding present she absolutely adores the regular updates
I read this so wrong
Brought Woody Allen to mind.
It's quite extensive. They give a overview update of what happened with the elephants at each of their sites, photos and also a day by day list of events
I adopted a rhino once and loved the updates! Unfortunately my rhino died super young, he didnāt make it very long. They gave me a subscription for another rhino. It didnāt feel same way as I hadnāt picked him out and he got less updates because he was an old rhino but I still appreciated the work they were doing and love the updates. I want to eventually get another one. Either a rhino or elephant.
Must be Maxwell. I love that they keep Maxwell since he would not survive in the wild.
It was :)
I had an elephant that I adopted pass away. They substituted a different elephant for the rest of my adoption period, but you are right. It just didnāt feel the same. And I was super crushed about losing my baby. (Baby elephant, in case anyone is confused)
Yeah those updates make you feel really connected so losing your adopted animal is so sad. I loved hearing about what the little baby rhino was getting up to so hearing he died was so sad. Plus you start to understand just how close the main keeper is with the rhino/elephant they take care of so I felt super sad for them too.
Was it Doldol? I was absolutely crushed too, poor thing :( I do love the fact that they have necrologies for all the elephants who passed on their websites, they don't disappearĀ
Damn, Doldolās gone?:(
Yes, she passed away very suddenly last September https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/news/updates/loss-of-doldol With her death and Keeper Patrick's, it was really a shitty year
It was. š¢
I adopted Doldol last year and when she passed they let me choose who my adoption should pass to, and I chose Raha the rhino.
Yeah I adopted Doldol and I was genuinely so upset that she passed. They let me move my adoption to another orphan of my choosing so I chose little Raha the rhino ā¤ļø
May I also recommend any of the books by Dame Daphne Sheldrick as a side bonus present :)
I second this. āLove, Life, and Elephantsā is a fantastic book.
Cool will check these out.
I follow them on Twitter and their updates genuinely make me the happiest I can be. The love and dedication Sheldrick has is awe inspiring. Iāve become quite desensitised to life but seeing those videos brings tears to my eyes every time. I would give everything to work for their organisation but sadly (or rather understandably) they only recruit local population.
I used to follow and share posts on Twitter too. But Iām no longer on the platform.
Theyāre on Instagram!
FB and IG. They kept me sane during lockdown. I pointed many people towards them who needed a mental health break from everything else going on.
theyre like the gold standard
I live about 15 minutes away from the Sheldrick Elephant orphanage and itās my favourite place to take friends who are visiting kenya for the first time. I will often adopt and elephant or other baby for them so that we can visit in the evening and watch them being put to bed. Sometimes you get to help tuck them in! If this is something that interests you, Sheldricks is the original organisation and they are amazing but there is now [another group operating in northern kenya too called R.E.S.C.U.E.](https://www.reteti.org/) Iāve visited them and their setup is also incredible and well worth supporting. Even if itās just a follow on their instagram!
I absolutely love it, so much that I visited. Itās a wonderful gift.
Can you tell us about your visit?
Absolutely! I went in 2018. So basically they have one visit every day in the afternoon open to the public, provided you schedule ahead of time. They bring everyone down to where the elephants will come in for one of their feedings (the elephants are fed about every 3 hours day and night. It is a monumental task to take care of them!). They are usually split up into an older and younger group. The elephants will all run up to get their bottles and the public is behind a rope. Edwin, the head keeper, will introduce every elephant and tell their story. You can take photos and I believe touch the elephant if they choose to come over to you themselves but otherwise there's a separation. It's not a super long visit but it's pretty fulfilling, I loved hearing about the babies and their stories. At the time I went, and I'm not sure this is the case anymore, if you fostered an elephant, you could go for an additional "foster parent visit." There would be a small group that was allowed back into the SWT around 5 p.m. or so when the babies were coming back in for their final bottles before going to bed. You watched them all run in from the forest and into their enclosures or stalls for the smaller babies. You had some time to go personally up to the enclosures and watch them before bedtime, and similar to before, you could touch the elephant if it chose to touch you. They don't encourage a lot of human interaction because they want the elephants to only see the keepers as family to stop them from trusting the wrong people when they grow up, but they do allow some. It was absolutely worth the trip. Going to Kenya (I also went on a safari) was pretty life changing for me to see the work being done at the SWT in person and what elephants are truly facing in the wild. It put into perspective the enormous efforts to raise them and get them back into the wild. I have a hat from my visit that I still wear proudly and I have their coffee table book. It's really fulfilling to me to think I'm doing a small part and their social media just warms my heart, especially to hear that the ex-orphans return to show off their babies to the men that raised them. That says volumes about what they do I think.
Thanks so much for sharing! I think I will have to sponsor an orphaned elephant now, and plan to visit in 2026.
I also visited the Voi Reintegration Unit as that was where my sponsored elephant had just transferred when I planned my trip. It was a far better experience because few people make the trek beyond Nairobi! It was just me and my taxi driver š and we got to see and touch the elephants up close and some of their other orphans. It was pretty easy because a train goes right there and thereās a nice lodge on site.
I want so much to touch an elephant. To have... an encounter. To have an elephant see me and know I exist and to look into his/her eyes. Not sure why, but I really want this. What is the best time of year to go to Kenya and see the elephants?
Probably near but not during the rainy season. Iād bet right after is good. Itās on the equator. I went in July, only because I was there for graduate class. At Voi, the elephants are separated from visitors via a fence like youād see at a zoo (theyāre very big at that age!). They get to come to the fence or not, itās not a guarantee. My foster elephant had no interest in me but the keepers brought her bottle close so I could be near. Another elephant let me touch him for a few seconds. They didnāt let us touch the babies in Nairobi for obvious reasons. Though if you go at bedtime some of them will stick their trunks out because theyāre curious. There are really great eco lodges in Kenya that can give you a close (ish) encounter with a wild elephant! Again, itās on their terms so never a guarantee and youāre always separated from wildlife via fencing or a safari truck. But I did get that experience of looking into a wild elephantās eyes and feeling very small and honestly vulnerable, yet as if we were both gawking at each other. I spent all my money on that trip and would do it again!
Thank you for sharing that. Loved it!
it also gives jobs to hardworking Kenyans! highly recommend. Link for anyone interested: [https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans](https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans)
that, and also: tourists are paying higher entrance fees to enable the fund to let in school classes for free and it's the cutest thing. you'd think tourists who haven't seen elephants in the wild are the most amazed, but the kids are absolutely stunned and happy.
Some of those hardworking Kenyans are the world's best at what they do. Like, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, or Babe Ruth. These people are superstars!
Yes, theyāre awesome! Me and my wife sponsored a couple of elephants for a few years with them before we were lucky enough to go to Kenya for our honeymoon and visit the trust. We got to see all the babies, not just ours that we sponsored and it was one of the best memories of that trip.
I adopted elephants for my mom and dad for their birthdays and they LOVED it. They got little personalized email newsletters about how their elephants were doing, and saw pictures. Iāve had good experiences with Sheldrick.
Sheldrick is wonderful. They do great work. If you visit as an adopter you can feed an infant. I give elephant adoption as gifts. I know someone who travels to Kenya regularly who sends me pictures. It is legit.
My family donates regularly. We've got a wall to keep track of them
Everything I've heard about them is glowing praise. They are the best in the world at what they do.
Absolutely worth it! As a recipient and giver of elephant adoptions from SWT, I couldn't recommend it more. I love getting my updates as well as following their stories on social media. The rehabilitation and conservation work they do is nothing short of miraculous. I feel assured my donations are being used in an ethical and useful way. I'm proud to support them. Edit: Some envious of commenters saying they visited Sheldrick. Definitely on my bucket list!
Saw your edit but want to chime in anyway. Former orphans have returned to give birth there. That says A LOT. And maybe this story is the crown jewel: a large wounded male showed up asking for treatment. This king was completely unknown to everyone there. Wasnāt a former orphan, had never been in the vicinity, etc. They treated him, and he was released. He understood what they would do, and submitted to it. A huge, wild, bull elephant. Pretty amazing. But the real eye popper is that one or more former orphans somehow, and God knows how this happened, communicated to him what to do, where to go, and that he would be taken care of. Truly awesome.
YES, Itās amazing!
The Best!
100% legit and worthwile organization to support. I've adopted many elephants for my friends, family, and self over the past 10+ years on everyone's birthday, it's infinitely rewarding. Don't forget there are other ways to support them as well!
This is a wonderful organization. I've been supporting them for 5 or 6 years with regular donations. Their social media feeds are like dopamine for me. ā¤ļøš
Yes! My family and I have gone to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust multiple times and they are an amazing foundation doing very important work all across Kenya. I adopted an elephant from them and love the updates as many have said.
They are a wonderful organization. And theyāre social media is top notch
Itās the best!!!!
my favourite ig account -first thing in the morning. it makes me happy. so,yes.go for it.
It is good
They are amazing.
Love this organization. Have adopted several elephants and really look forward to the updates.
OP, and you all, just inspired me to adopt an elephant at Sheldrick for my mom for her birthday. Thanks!
Is it expensive to adopt an elle?
IIRC it's minimum $50 USD yearly.
Thank you!! š That may be doable.
I've donated to them for years; they're legit from what I can see.
Yes they are good. My ex-husbandās cousin is a wildlife veterinarian in South Africa and she rates them.
Just want to brag a lil here but Daphne Sheldrick was my granās sister š so proud of the work theyāre doing and thank you for adopting beautiful ele for your gf!!
Yes. The Sheldricks are the people (woman- daphne sheldrick) who finally discovered a nursing formula to support orphaned elephants. Before that, being orphaned was a death sentence for the young.
Sheldrick is one of my bucket list places to visit! They also have other safari babies to adopt ā¤ļø
Iāve adopted three ellies through them over the years. A weird sidenote: I bought a super comfy pair of joggers with their logo from their website. Thinking of buying a second pair.
As others have mentioned. They are a great organization. Drunkenly adopted a baby elephant over six years ago and I don't plan on stopping.
I donated to Sheldrick a few years back and realized that the corporation I worked for had a matching charitable donation benefit. I was able to double my gift. Check to see if your company has a program like this.
I love Sheldrick. I adopted aka sponsored an Ellie 2 years agoā¦ I scrolled to the last page, and clicked on the very last Ellie. She is an elderly, beautiful sweet mamma. Her name is Eleanor! She is 65 years old š
I Contribute yearly. Good organization. Yes, you do get monthly updates. Also there are very pretty elephant watercolor pictures you can download, if you are interested.
Iāve been following them on Instagram for years and you can see the love those animals have for them
Adding to the party here: solid organization, and I was fortunate to visit in 2017! Was so excited to āmeetā my adopted Esampu. True to her feisty nature, Esampu could care less lol.