The elephant orphanage is nested within the Nairobi National Park, Nairobi Kenya. It is just a few kilometers from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, one of the most inspiring places on the Planet. This Elephant Orphanage is known as the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT). It is a sanctuary that gives hope to orphaned baby elephants who need some care to have enough energy to survive in the wild. It is also a non-profit education center educating the public about the importance of wildlife conservation. The Orphanage provides education on the importance of rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration of orphaned baby elephants.
The opportunity to visit David Sheldrick Elephant orphanage will quench your thirst in connecting with nature, and also provide a chance to know a lot about the sanctuary; its history, mission, visiting information, and why it’s worth being in your itinerary.
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The History of the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
This orphanage was founded in 1977 by Dame Daphne Sheldrick. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was created in memory of her late husband, David Sheldrick, the founding Warden of Tsavo East National Park. The trust’s main goal was anti-poaching, conservation, and wildlife rehabilitation. The animals that were included in these conservation efforts mainly included the elephants, rhinos, and some of the other endangered species.
To this day, this elephant orphanage remains one of the most successful in the world. It has global recognition in its work towards the rehabilitation of baby elephants, whose mothers have been killed through poaching or human-wild conflicts or other natural causes. The trust helps nature and cares for these baby elephants until they can be released back into the wilderness.
Reasons why you should visit the Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi Kenya.
To Support a Noble Cause
When you visit the Orphanage, it’s a direct support to the conservation efforts at the Orphanage. Your entrance fee and other donations will contribute to the care of the orphaned elephants and the expansion of conservation throughout Kenya to accommodate more conservation works.
To see the Elephants up close
By seeing the elephants up close, visitors can learn more about the life and behaviours of the Elephant. At the Orphanage, there is a real connection with the animals as you touch and receive a detailed story of each of the elephants. A visit will also allow you to feed the young elephants through the bottles, The elephants are bottle-fed since they are still too young. Also, learn about their love for mud baths to cure their delicate skins from insect bites and the heat of the sun.
To learn about Wildlife Conservancy
Each elephant at the Orphanage has a unique and special story as to how they got there. Learn more about their personalities and also about the challenges that face the broader wildlife in the Country. The Orphanage educates visitors on the need for the conservation of wildlife for future generations.
Great place for families and Children to hang out
The elephant orphanage is a great place to take your kids to have fun during the holidays. The children can then enjoy the playfulness of the young elephants. This way, the children can learn the virtue of animal love and care. This way, future generations will continue with the spirit of animal care, and conservation efforts will continue to blossom.
What to expect at the Elephant Orphanage:
The Orphanage is open daily to the public. Visiting hours are 11.00 AM to 12:00 PM. During this time, the baby elephants are brought out for feeding and playtime. During this time, the visitors can interact with the Elephants; therefore, they should always arrive on time, especially during peak tourism seasons. If you adopt an elephant, seek more information as to how you can have more personal time with the specific adopted Elephant.
Entrance Fees
Current fees at the Orphanage are divided into two major categories: SWT donation fees and KWS Park fees.
SWT donation fees:
- Non-resident fees:
- Adult: Usd 20 for international adult visitors or the equivalent in Ksh. The amount in Kenya shillings fluctuates depending on the days Forex exchange rates. This is the fee for any person 1 years of age and above.
- Child: Usd 5 or equivalent in Ksh. Child is any person under 12 years of age.
- Resident fees:
- Adult: Ksh 2000 for East African citizens and Kenyan residents.
- Child: Ksh. 500
Note: You must provide proof of Kenyan residency to benefit from residence rates. Please check any updated fees on David Sheldrick here.
Note 2: You cannot prepay the fees because they are all paid on the day of visit.
KWS Park fees
All fees paid go directly towards the conservation efforts as well as the running of the Orphanage.
Always ensure you prebook a visit to the Orphange since walk-ins are not allowed, this is due to the high traffic at the site.
During the visit, the visitors should bring the following:
- Comfortable walking shoes.
- A hat to protect yourself from the sun.
- A camera
- Water
Touching the elephants directly is not allowed to prevent future problems as the animals try to reintegrate into the wild.
Best of the Rescue stories.
- You can meet Maxwell, who is a blind black rhino who cannot survive in the wild and is permanently stationed at the Orphanage.
- You can then meet Shujaa, a baby elephant found trapped in a well. He was rescued and nursed back to health and is now a bubbly Elephant.
- You can meet Malkia, meaning a queen who was orphaned as her mother died of natural causes.
These touching stories will make your visit to the Orphange so touching as you learn more about the struggles and the healing journey that these animals have to go through.
Other conservation activities for Sheldrick Wildlife.
Apart from the Elephant orphanage, the Sanctuary is involved in other key areas:
- The trust runs and maintains anti-poaching teams in cooperation with the Kenya Wildlife Service.
- They also participate in air surveillance of the National Conservancies.
- Mobile veterinary services to respond to injured animals to treat sick animals.
- They also work with local communities to ensure that the conservation measures are kept in check. These include: reforestation and the opening of wildlife corridors to avoid human-animal conflicts.