For most orphans, it can take a while to... play – and when they do, we know they've turned a corner in their recovery. Lemeki surprised us all, charging around from the minute she exited the rescue helicopter! Even the guineafowl couldn't escape her playful antics. This flock became her best friend and the feeling was mutual. When she changed stables, they relocated and came to roost on her roof! Her start was extraordinary: rescued as a week-old newborn in 2018 after she was spotted in the floodwaters of the Mara River. Today she is eight years old and one of the lead females of our Voi herd, edging closer to a wild life of her own. Discover Lemeki's story, an orphan who has the honour being the first orphan ever raised at our Kaluku Neonate Unit:show more

When Murera sets her heart on something, she doesn't... give up. First it was survival: as an infant, poaching injuries brought her to brink of death, but she fought for life. Typically, she approached starting a family in the same determined way. First, she took the younger orphans under her maternal wing, taking the mantle of matriarch of the Umani orphan herd. When her beloved Luggard passed away, she was devastated and took herself off into the wild for a few days. When she returned, something had changed: a blossoming belly revealed she was pregnant. Nearly 22 months to the day after Luggard died, Mwana was born. Murera has chosen to raise Mwana alongside her human support system. As such, we have a unique, front-row view into her wild baby's upbringing. But when she wanted to expand her family further, we noticed the same thing happened again, and she disappeared off into the wild for a few days with some male suitors! Now we await her newest bundle of joy to appear in the forthcoming months. (Eagle-eyed followers might note the baby suckling here is actually Lenny. Allo-nursing is very common among our orphan herd, as all females pitch in to help raise the babies). Discover Murera’s incredible story:show more

Hands up if you remember Kinyei's story! You'll be... astounded at how much our once-tiny baby has grown. She was spotted by tourists in the Mara in 2018, precariously alone near a pride of lions. She found a family as one third of our Kaluku trio – the founding orphans of our Kaluku Neonate Unit – and is now growing up at Ithumba, our Reintegration Unit where older orphaned elephants find their wild feet. Her story:show more

Rescued at just one week old after her mother... died in the Mara, our pint-sized princess Kaikai has been running the show ever since. As our Keepers put it, "If you want to take her in a direction she isn't enthusiastic about, she will do an about-turn and lead everyone in a new direction". It's probably best she leads from the front – she has tripped up half our Kaluku staff with her love of shoelaces and dress hems. This spirited little leader needs our support: she's still so young, she needs milk and Keeper care all day, every day. Adoptions ensure Kaikai, and all the 100+ orphans in our care, receive everything they need on their journey back to the wild. Become an adopter and follow an orphan's story:show more

It's #WorldGiraffeDay. Come for a walk through with Pips.... She is nine months old, and the youngest giraffe orphan in our care. We rescued her in September 2025 after her mother was killed by lions. She had been hiding alone for days, slipping in to drink at a water trough and disappearing again. Pips is in esteemed company. The first giraffe we raised to the wild was Kiko, rescued in 2015 and now continuing his rewilding at Lewa. Twiggy, another, joined the wild around the time Pips turned up, and has been seen in the company of a boyfriend. Pips is still at the beginning of her journey. Read her story and help support Kenya's giraffe with an adoption:show more

Orphaned as a baby, Twiggy sought safety by attempting... to blend into a herd of zebras, until she was rescued. Now, she’s the heart and soul of our Kaluku Unit, watching over her fellow orphans - be they elephants, antelopes, warthog or rhino! - she earned the nickname ‘Mother Goose’. By adopting Twiggy, you’ll be supporting her journey back to the wild. It’s a chance to make a lasting impact on her life and the future of wildlife conservation. Support Twiggy today and join her incredible story:show more

Pips is everywhere. Our young giraffe at our Kaluku... Neonate Unit in Tsavo can usually be found in the middle of whatever's happening – watching over the smaller orphans, working her way through the browse, keeping a long-necked eye on the daily comings and goings. We rescued her in September last year, after her mother was likely killed by lions. She had narrowly escaped the same fate, and by the time we reached her she was running on her last reserves. Her Keepers call her Pipsi. Adopting Pips helps fund her browse, her Keepers, and the years of care ahead. Adopt Pips:show more

This is what is so special: being afforded a... glimpse into the lives of Kenya's elephants. When we rescue an orphan, we are given a privileged position, raising them like our own. When these elephants go wild, they repay us in kind. And so, we get to see tiny baby elephants like this, covered head to toe in mud! This tiny baby in question? Nala, the daughter of ex-orphan Nasalot, who we rescued in 2000. Despite a traumatic start to life, Nasalot became one of the most nurturing females in our care – and is now raising her third calf in the wild. Nala is one of more than 90 calves born to elephants we once hand-raised – this is what your support makes possible! Discover her birth story:show more

Kito is pure charm! Born just last week, this... precocious little sprite is already winning hearts. Lucky for her, she has two protective big sisters, Kama and Kaia, to show her the ropes and spoil her endlessly. Kito represents hope for the future. Her mother, Kinna, was rescued as a newborn in 1999 and raised through our Orphans’ Project. Now, 25 years later, she’s a shining example of how one life saved can lead to generations of new beginnings. Meet Kito and learn how she came to be part of this incredible story:show more

We rescued Bombi the zebra earlier this year, after... lions killed her mother and left her an orphan. She came to us with serious wounds, but thanks to round-the-clock care from her Keepers, she healed wonderfully. This was filmed soon after her rescue, as Bombi got to know her new human family. Peter’s distinctive outfit – which he still wears – was key to Bombi’s recovery, enabling her to imprint on her Keepers just as she would have on her mother in the wild. Find out how we rescue orphaned wildlife like Bombi and protect the habitats they call home:show more

It’s a girl! Early this morning, ex-orphan Kilabasi made... the pilgrimage ‘home’ to introduce us to her brand new baby. She looks proud as can be, doesn’t she? We rescued Kilabasi back in 2011. After growing up in our care, she reclaimed her place in the wilds of northern Tsavo. This is her second baby, following in the footsteps of big brother Kofi, who was born almost three years ago. We named Kilabasi’s new baby Kanika. She is a beautiful little girl, and we look forward to sharing more about her — but first, we had to tell you the exciting news! Revisit Kilabasi’s story: And remember: Supporters like you make these moments possible, helping us rescue the orphans of today and pave the way for generations of elephants. Thank you!show more

Twiggy on one of her daily wanderings, during which... she’s been encountering wild giraffes; boding well for her future reintegration. Rescued as an infant, Twiggy has grown up – more upwardly in size than by age, as she’s still only three years old – at our Kaluku Unit. She strides at her own rhythm; enjoying long strolls, browsing the acacia trees, and keeping a watchful eye on all the comings and goings: Twiggy is inherently nosey! The tallest orphan in our care, read her story at: #WildlifeWalksshow more

Nasalot arrives at Ithumba twice a day. She has... done so, reliably, throughout February – arriving with Nala close at her side, drinking from the trough, spending time with the herd, and heading back out into Tsavo. Why? Because the bonds we forged with Nasalot when she was an orphaned baby have lasted long into adulthood. She was just three months old when she lost her own family to poachers. She came to us traumatised and distraught, pacing her stable through the night, unable to sleep, unable to settle. But time heals all wounds – and she became one of the most nurturing elephants in the Ithumba herd. And now she arrives each morning with a daughter of her own to share with us. Meet Nasalot:show more

🚨URGENT She was found in an abandoned place, struggling... to care for her newborn kittens with no one to help her. Alone and scared, she never gave up on them. But today, her story changed—we rescued her, giving her and her little ones a chance at the love and life they deserve.show more

Sound up 📢 All of the dogs came in... except for Lola. An old girl, we went out looking for her, calling her… she didn’t come. Eventually we found her having a blissful snooze in the tunnel 😴😴 Although we give her every home comfort Lola has never wanted a lot. She lived a hard life in Romania before being ‘rescued’ into a desolate life - years of isolation and squalor in a UK rescue that was thankfully shut down. When they closed there was nowhere to send her, we wanted to make up for how people let her down. Lola now has the best of everything, plentiful food, warm fires, a communal lounge, companionship, soft bedding, her freedom and our love. But the greatest gift of all was that Lola feels safe with us. Safe enough to take a nap wherever and whenever she wants 💜show more

I genuinely cannot understand how someone can watch this... story and still stand there, looking at two women, and somehow decide that the wrong one is the victim. On one side, you have a girl (Yıldız) who has been mistreated her entire life. Since the moment she was born, she was treated like a sacrifice for a conflict she was never even part of and later we find out that this conflict never even existed. Her right to study was taken from her. She was pushed into a marriage at a very young age just imagine being six, seven, eight years old, living in fear of being tied to someone you don’t even know. She was treated like a servant in her own home, by the very people she thought were her family. And just when she gets close to the happiness she dreamed of, the man she was engaged to shows up with another wife. She gets mistreated by that wife, by his family, and even (unintentionally) by him, because he was trying to run away from his own feelings, and that only caused her more heartbreak. The whole world was literally against her. She fought through all of that, only to find out in the end that everything she suffered for was based on something that wasn’t even real. Her entire life was built on a lie. That she isn’t even part of that family that she has literally no one in this world. Now on the other side… You have a girl (Melek) who, yes, was taken from her biological mother but she was raised by loving parents. She had everything anyone could wish for: education, freedom, a happy childhood, a healthy environment. She lived her life, fell in love, went out, made choices and no one questioned her, no one controlled her. And then what did she do? She found out that her man was engaged to another woman before marrying her (and even saw him marry her) and instead of holding on to her dignity, she chose to stay, to fight for a man who lied to her, to hold onto a marriage he tried to end multiple times. She used her unborn child to keep him tied to her. She lied constantly, and her excuse was that she was “protecting her marriage” a marriage that was already broken from the moment Serhat removed that ring at the airport in episode one. She tried to hand Yıldız (a woman who had already suffered enough) over to dangerous people. Then she found out the truth about her own birth (that her father ra*ped her mother.)And still no empathy. No moment of humanity toward her own mother. All she cared about was herself. And even though none of this had anything to do with Yıldız, she still found a way to blame it on her. Instead of holding her father accountable, she went and made a deal with him to get rid of Yıldız. She literally made a deal with the devil just to hurt Yıldız one more time. And after all of that… you want me to feel sorry for her? You want me to call her a victim? I honestly cannot believe we are living on the same planet with people who see this and still say, “she’s the victim.” Not morally. Not logically. Not emotionally. There is no world where this makes sense. It’s like watching someone clearly cause harm, and still calling them the victim and actually BELIEVING it. #HalefKöklerinÇağrısıshow more

Moon nursing at our Ithumba Reintegration Unit, with Kitirua... keeping watch. You can tell Kitirua by her ragged ears. She was rescued in 2011 from Amboseli as a tiny two-year-old, around the same time we were raising new mum Melia – the two of them grew up together at our Nairobi Nursery, and both now roam wild in Tsavo. While Melia has just had her second wild-born calf, Kitirua hasn't yet started a family of her own. It seemed, today, she was roped in to be on bodyguard duty for the new baby! Discover Kitirua's story:show more

Meet Kaikai! This quick-witted, curious little elephant has captured... every heart at Kaluku. Orphaned at just one week old, this tiny neonate arrived traumatised and crying for her mother. It was a heart-breaking start to life but today, she has found the love of a new human-elephant family and has strongly bonded to her Keepers. Daphne Sheldrick once said when orphans play, you know they've turned a corner. For Kaikai, who turns everything into a game, even a wave “hello”, it's a sign her recovery is well underway. This #GivingTuesday, help us give Kaikai the gift of family. Adoptions help fund specialist milk formula, round-the-clock Keeper care, and the decade-long journey that will one day return her to the wild. Plus, today, your donation will be doubled, having twice the impact for orphans like Kaikai! Adopt Kaikai:show more

Talk about a transformation! When Dolly first came to... us, she was broken, hairless, and fighting just to survive. Now? She is a fully fluffy, pampered girl who gets her very own plush bed when she goes out for coffee with her mum! ☕️ Going from the worst start in life to being the most spoiled girl in the cafe... this is exactly the kind of ending every rescue dog deserves.show more

Enkesha found herself a suitor the other day when... a wild bull appeared among the orphans – and set his sights on our uniquely beautiful girl. She's still a little young for a romance, but this chap was insistent, following her through the forest. While the herd scattered, little Lenny was having none of it and stepped up to face the giant – determined to protect his nanny! Eventually the bull gave up, leaving everyone at peace again. When you adopt an orphan in our care, you'll be among the first to read moments like this in our Keepers' Diaries – adopters get early access to daily updates from all our orphan units. Discover more: (Wondering about Enkesha's trunk? It was injured in a poacher's snare before her rescue. Today, it has fully healed and presents no issues to her at all!)show more