For several years we have adopted an elephant from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust located in Nairobi, Kenya. The Sheldrick Trust rescues elephants that have been the victims of mishaps and poaching. They have multiple rescue teams that do all they can do to save the elephants in the wild. If the animal needs more intensive care, they go to one of their medical units. Many of their elephant babies are the result of their mothers being killed by poachers. The goal is to get them healed and back into the wild. It’s truly an amazing NGO.

For years, I have dreamed of being able to visit Ziwadi. Thankfully, they are open again and you can go visit the feeding process two times each day.

Early each morning the elephants in the Nairobi nursery are taken out into the forest to graze. Since the elephants in this nursery are still dependent on their mothers milk, they get milk feedings twice a day. All of these babies have lost their mothers and have to be bottle fed.

At the designated time, these Ellie babies run from their grazing toward the keepers to get their morning bottle of milk. It is so much fun watching them run up to the keepers, tilting their heads back for their bottle. It’s an orderly process but sometimes the older male calves will be a bit cantankerous.

Once they have been fed, they line up and head back to the forest. Each evening they have their own stall where they sleep with one of the keepers. Some of the smaller babies have to be fed every three hours. It’s a big job to take care of these animals.

If you are ever in Nairobi, I highly recommend adding this to your schedule. If you want to adopt an elephant, the link is provided below.

https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org