It is often said that good fathers lead by... example. That is certainly true with elephants – older bulls are mentors, guardians, and founts of wisdom. They teach younger bulls how to behave and help them navigate the wild. Far from the solitary figures they’re often made out to be, bulls form strong friendships and show great loyalty. Many of our orphans, such as Kiasa and Talek, were taken under the wings of benevolent bulls until help arrived. Bulls can even step in as ‘honorary nannies,’ as this scene shows. Baby Saba (ex-orphan Sunyei’s daughter) got sleepy and settled at the feet of a visiting bull. He happily stood guard over the little girl until she was done with her nap! Follow us at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for more stories of elephant empathy.show more

In elephant society, it’s the mothers who raise the... babies and everyone, from auties to cousins pitches in. But when young adolescent bulls leave their natal herd, it is patriarchal older bulls who help keep their behaviour in check and pass on their learned wisdom to the brash young bachelors. We see this at our Reintegration Units all the time. Huge wild bulls have played a vital role in socialising with our orphaned males (and sired many a baby among our ex-orphan females too). Now our own orphans are taking on the mantle of mentor. Rapsu- a 23 year-old ex-orphan - is one such male who the younger bulls hero-worship. With good reason too as he will take the younger orphans under his wing and help shepherd them to a wild life.show more

Mentorship is very important in elephant society. During the... reintegration phase, we help our dependent orphans transition to their wild lives by offering a safe, supportive environment in which they can learn from and mingle freely with wild elephants, ex-orphans, and their families. This scene captures how naturally these dynamics unfold: The big bull, known as ‘Customer Number One’, is a wild elephant who often arrives early to join the orphans for breakfast. On this morning, he lined up beside ex-orphan Chyulu (far left) and her wild-born sons, Cheka and Charli, surrounded by our dependent herd. Learn more about our work to rescue, raise, and rewild orphan elephants at:show more

It's been a week of romantic intrigue at Umani... Springs. Predictably, Lima Lima was at the heart of it — she was in season, but she has also always enjoyed the attention of bulls! The team kept well out of the way, but managed to watch all the drama unfold. As Head Keeper Philip reported: "Since last week, Lima Lima has been attracting many wild bulls eager to win her affection. Today eight bulls arrived, each hoping to be the one she would choose. The competition quickly turned into conflict. The bulls refused to back down and fierce battle broke out as rivals fought for the chance to be with Lima Lima. In one dramatic clash, a determined bull forced his strongest competitor, and the fight ended with one of them breaking a tusk. Love in the wild can be beautiful, but it can also come at a heavy cost. Today one bull paid that price, losing a tusk while fighting for his sweetheart Lima Lima.’ Once dominance was established, all was well and Lima Lima headed back to the herd and calm was restored. Lima Lima is an orphan rescued and raised through our Orphans’ Project, and now living wild. She is a mother of one — though it looks like another sibling may be on the horizon! Revisit her story:show more

Welcome to the Umani crèche, and today Enkesha's in... charge. When wild bulls come courting, our ex-orphan mums hand their little ones to the nannies – and Enkesha is reliably among the first to step up. The three in her care are Lenny, Zigi and Sulwe, wild-born calves born to ex-orphans Lima Lima, Zongoloni and Sonje. Since they've no tusks of their own yet, Enkesha breaks up mineral-rich soil for them, and when baboons block Lenny's path and he trumpets for help, she's among the first to him. In elephant society, the young belong to everyone, and the whole herd has a hand in raising them. The same is true for our ex-orphans too.show more

Mwana deserves an award for auntie of the year!... Little Lenny delivered a serious head butt, then realised the error in his ways as nannies Kiasa, Sonje, and even baby Sulwe thundered over. Lenny is a precocious chap, but he is also learning that bad manners won’t be tolerated amongst his family! Our Umani elephant family is remarkable. Mwana, Lenny and Sulwe are all SWT ‘grandkids’ — wild calves born to orphans we rescued, raised, and reintegrated back into the wild. Meanwhile, Kiasa and Sonje are orphans rescued and raised in our care. They are elephants of two worlds: living wild as they choose, but also fiercely devoted to their human-orphan family. Learn more about Umani Spring, our place of miracles:show more

In the world of African elephants, few sights are... as iconic as a Super Tusker—a bull elephant whose tusks are so large they nearly touch the ground. These giants, often over 40 years old, are the living legends of the savannah. But before an elephant becomes a Super Tusker, it must first survive decades of challenges as an emerging tusker. Emerging tuskers are typically bulls between 35 and 40 years old whose tusks show exceptional growth potential, and could one day be attributed the title of Super Tusker. A Super Tusker is a male bull elephant with tusks that weigh over 100lbs (45kgs) each. In Tsavo Conservation Area, there are currently 32 emerging tuskers being closely monitored by Tsavo Trust and Kenya Wildlife Service. 🎥 Prakash Jetainshow more

If you buy beef from us, you deserve to... know what you are supporting. This is the foundation of our herd, and the kind of selection that leads to cattle that perform well year after year and produce beef with consistency. Our bulls are built for rough terrain and hot weather, and they are expected to hold up when conditions are not easy, because that is real ranching and that is what our country asks of them. Great beef starts right here, and we are proud of how we raise it. 🛒Easy shopping at 🇺🇸 Delivery anywhere in the USAshow more

It has been a year of romance at Umani... Springs. Last week (and much to our surprise) Kiasa was at the heart of the drama. Several big bulls swept through, each intent upon winning her heart. Keep watching for a peek of the winning suitor – looking mighty pleased with himself, we might add. We will have to wait 22 months to see if another Umani grandcalf comes from this courtship – and if our suspicions are correct, we have several expectant ex-orphan mothers in our midst: Murera, Enkesha, Zongoloni, Lima Lima, and maybe soon, Kiasa. For more orphans' news, check out our Keepers' Diaries:show more

One of the many things that make the Princess... of Wales dufferent from Madame Moonbump is her awareness of and concern for others. In the video clip we see Catherine suggesting to the group that they all go inside to get out of the rain, and she starts to lead them in. But she stops and looks over her right shoulder and sees another group of kids with no umbrellas! At the end of the clip she heads over to them to help other adults shelter the children, resulting in such lovely photos such as the one below. 🥰show more

Melia has a new daughter. She might too young... for solids, but that doesn't stop her giving it a good go. Earlier this week, ex-orphan Melia walked up to our Ithumba Reintegration Unit in northern Tsavo and introduced her brand new baby girl to Head Keeper Benjamin and the team. We've named her Moon. Moon is Melia's second – little sister to her firstborn Milo, who was born outside the same stockades back in 2022. The new arrival is bold and full of character. Melia came into our care as a yearling in 2009, alone and far from any wild herd. Seventeen years on, she's a mother of two, living wild – and still bringing her family home to say hello. Follow Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for more from Moon and our wild-born family.show more

My 13 year old, 15 year old and 17... year old helping me move a group of Bulls this evening. These are special times. I fear my bullshit radar is sounding, and I'm wondering if the temptation to create a reaction online often drives the choice of topics. Certainly, headlines like "It's akin to shoving children up chimneys" isn't a "sober" reflection. It's one designed to create online interaction and reaction. This evening, we talked about how to use pressure release with the Bulls to keep them quiet. How to react to challenges from them, and we laughed as one of the kids got stuck in a patch of thistles. There are pressures from all directions to turn family farms into agribusinesses. Resist them at every turn. You won't know what you've lost until it's gone.show more

“Good morning!” Toddlers are up being friendly ahead of... most people. As some of us who live or have lived with them can attest, this often starts at 6am, or earlier…😊 A bright and happy “good morning” is a toddler greeting they don’t miss as they get excited about their day and want others to be excited too. And although many of us are not as awake as them during our mornings, it can help us, and those around us, to give that cheery “good morning” to everyone, including strangers. In a study looking at the behaviors of 60,000 adults, researchers from Turkey found that people who had these types of momentary interactions had increased wellbeing by establishing belonging. Lead author Dr. Esra Ascigil explained the reason for this as “Having a sense of belonging involves feeling like you are accepted and valued by other people – it is often considered a fundamental human need.” And we see this not just in the morning, but throughout the day as toddlers and preschoolers walk around malls and grocery stores greeting strangers much more than adults do. They intuitively know what makes them, and others, feel good. nzherald article with an excellent summary of the research from Sabancı Üniversitesi: Video Credit: erin_dittmer on TTshow more

This is elephant conservation in action: raising orphaned elephants... step by step until they’re ready to reclaim their place in the wild. Our Keepers dedicate upwards of a decade to each orphan, helping them grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults ready to join wild herds. Our founder, Dame Daphne Sheldrick, pioneered the first successful hand-rearing of an orphaned infant African elephant. Today, we build on her legacy, having raised more than 320 orphans to date. Tomorrow, discover more about our elephant conservation work as we count down to #WorldElephantDay 🐘 Meet our youngest orphans and support their journey back to the wild:show more

Wonderful, breaking news! Early this morning, ex-orphan Melia returned... to introduce a brand new baby girl to Head Keeper Benjamin and the rest of the Ithumba team. Moon, as we’ve named her, is Melia’s second baby. She is a lovely little elephant, bold and brimming with character. More to come, but we wanted to share the news in real time. Supporters like you make these stories possible: enabling us to rescue orphans like Melia, dedicate years to their recovery, and help them reclaim their place in the wild – paving the way for a new generation of wild elephants, like baby Moon. If you're new to our work, discover how every rescue has the potential to forge future dynasties here:show more

Tytan is a rhino. Notty is a zebra. Together,... they are inseparable. Both are orphans at our Nairobi Nursery and both were rescued in infancy. In their sheltered corner of Kenya, this peas-in-a-pod duo are growing fast: Tytan is already sharpening his horn against tree stumps. Notty met some wild zebra recently, but she wasn't ready to join them, preferring her human caregivers. We rescue and raise orphans across many species – not just elephants. Their family at the Nursery is whichever animals are growing up alongside them. Follow us Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for more interspecies friendships and family.show more

This adorable elephant calf is thriving at Umani Springs,... growing up alongside his ‘siblings’ Sulwe, Lenny, and Mwana - what a crèche they make! With devoted nannies like Kiasa and Enkesha watching over him, plus the wisdom of matriarchs Murera and Sonje, Zigi couldn't ask for better company. His mother, Zongoloni, was once a heartbroken orphan herself; rescued after witnessing her mother's death to poachers. Now she's raising her own beautiful baby - the perfect example of how our Orphans' Project creates lasting change across generations. Support stories like Zigi's: #WildBornBabiesshow more

At only 3-months old, baby Lenny is still finding... his feet in the world, but every time he does, watch out! In between catnaps and nursing from his mum — rescued orphan Lima Lima — Lenny can be found motoring around the Kibwezi Forest as fast as his little legs can carry him! This time, straight for the Keeper and his camera! Lenny is one of 71 babies known to have been mothered by orphaned elephants we have rescued, raised, and rewilded. A generation of elephant made possible through our Orphans' Project and your support! Enjoy more of Lenny, and his pseudo sister Sulwe, at:show more