What does traveling to Kenya mean to you? Of course, this is a fantastic opportunity to visit a new country and see its most iconic sights. It is also a chance to see unique places that are not found anywhere else in the world, feel an unforgettable safari experience, relax on the beautiful coast of the Indian Ocean, and so on. For Kenya, your visit is no less significant. With your stay, you contribute greatly to the preservation of wildlife, natural and cultural heritage. Today we will tell you about the incredible organization Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which is both a tourist hidden gem and a magnificent project to save Africa’s wildlife.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: A Bit of History

You probably know that East Tsavo National Park is the largest and oldest park in Kenya. David Sheldrick devoted most of his life to this park. For over 20 years, he has worked in the region, transforming the once pristine area into Kenya’s most majestic park.

During this time, he, along with his wife, Daphne Sheldrick, saved many species of animals. After David’s death, his wife founded a wildlife trust in honor of her husband.

Today, Daphne Sheldrick is also dead, but her daughter continues the family business, along with her husband and sons. Until now, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is one of the most significant wildlife conservation projects. Every day they do a great job to protect the animals and do everything possible to save the population.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mission 

All foundation employees are united by one idea: to save one life means to save a whole generation. Most of all, the foundation is known for its project to rescue and raise orphaned elephants, rhinos, and giraffes. In addition, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust team fights poaching, solves wildlife welfare issues, provides veterinary care, and so on.

With air, anti-poaching, and veterinary mobile units, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust team can quickly locate and assist animals in distress. In addition, the trust works with the Kenya Wildlife Service and conducts community outreach. Humanity should not encroach on the territory where animals feel free. Communication with residents who live close to national parks helps to convey the importance of preserving and protecting African wildlife. 

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphanage

The orphan project to adopt elephants and rhinos is one of the most ambitious projects of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. After all, these African animals are in danger of extinction.

Animals become orphans for many reasons: poaching, drought, predation, and so on. Losing a parent is as stressful for a child as it is for a human being. A small animal cannot survive on its own, so the conservation trust immediately responds to cases of orphanhood and transports such animals to a shelter in Nairobi.

Here, in the shelter, no less challenging work begins. The orphan experiences significant stress and even becomes depressed. Therefore, the trust staff must surround each orphan with maternal care and unconditional love. Replacing a cub’s mother is not an easy task. However, the keepers are doing an incredible job. As a result, the animal undergoes successful rehabilitation, after which he will be ready to return to normal life in the national park.

Each baby elephant stays at a shelter in Nairobi until they are three years old. The animal is then transferred to the reintegration facility in Tsavo Park. Here, the elephant can stay as long as they need and can leave the center at any time.

Become a member of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Saving animals requires enormous resources, including financial ones. Therefore, the David Sheldrick Conservation Trust invites everyone to become a participant in this grandiose project. There are several ways you can help this fund.

• Visit a shelter. If your trip to Kenya includes a visit to Nairobi, be sure to check out the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. To avoid disturbing the orphans, visits to the orphanage are allowed daily, from 11:00 to 12:00, and by appointment. By paying a charitable contribution, but not less than $20 per person, you help the foundation cover some expenses for keeping animals. You will get the most positive emotions watching these cute orphans and how the fund staff feeds them with large children’s milk bottles.

• Adopt an orphan. You can do this both during your visit to the shelter and online from anywhere in the world. Adoption costs $50. That is a small amount for a person and a significant amount of help for one orphan. You can look through portfolios with orphans and adopt the baby who resonates the most in your heart. After adoption, you will receive a certificate. In addition, you will receive a monthly report on the status of your ward and exclusive photos and videos of the fund.

• Donate. To do its job, the foundation needs both foods for the elephants and various useful equipment. You can find a wish list on the site and buy the necessary item for the fund, or simply donate any amount you can afford.

Lodges Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

If you like to fill your trip to Kenya with special meaning, we suggest you stay at one of the lodges of this fund. Six luxury eco-lodges are in eastern Tsavo, in its untouched and most picturesque areas. A few tourists come here, and only those who are already the foster parents of the orphans.

Beside visiting the untouched corners of Kenya, living in eco-lodges will give you several other advantages:

• The lodge is just for you. Besides you, only staff will be here. They will help you and cook food for you. Before you come here, you need to create a menu and buy the food yourself or entrust it to the staff of the lodge.
• Exclusive access to the reintegration center—the place where elephants are placed after rehabilitation in an orphanage in Nairobi.
• Safari and hiking in the park with an experienced guide.

Become part of a big project!

If you admire the work of these people with a big heart and sincerely want to help, support the trust in one of the available ways. You can read more incredible stories about the fund on the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust web. And if traveling to Kenya is in your plans, include a visit to the shelter or accommodation in Tsavo in your itinerary. Contact us for detailed information about the available options and book your meaningful journey!