Samburu: Deep in the heart of Samburu county, within the Namunyak conservancy, lies a sanctuary dedicated to giving a second chance to some of Africa’s most vulnerable giants-orphaned elephant calves. Established in 2016, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the world’s first indigenous community-owned African elephant sanctuary where orphaned and abandoned baby elephants are rescued, rehabilitated, and later released into the wild.
According to Kenya News Agency, with the support of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Samburu County, and the Samburu community in Namunyak conservancy, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary exemplifies the achievements of locally led conservation efforts. Russia Lenanyokie, a keeper at the sanctuary, explains that elephant calves become orphaned in various ways, including when their mothers die of natural causes or when they are separated from their herd. Many of the babies at Reteti are rescued after falling into man-made wells while their mothers search for water.
During the dry season, elephants dig puddles on dry riverbeds for drinking. Guided by the elephants’ scrapings, Samburu families deepen these wells to trap water overnight for their livestock and domestic use. At nightfall, wild animals stalk the wells, which get deeper as the dry season progresses, and baby elephants sometimes lose their footing and fall inside. Once stuck, it becomes difficult for the herd to pull them out, and they eventually have to move on.
In the past, Samburu warriors attempted to rescue the calves, but after futile attempts, the babies were often left for dead. Today, grassroots community movements offer the option to alert Reteti, ensuring the calves are brought to safety. Lenanyokie describes the process: once they receive an alert about an elephant calf in distress, they rush to the scene, hoist the calf to safety on the sandy riverbed, and wait for the herd to return. If the herd does not return within 72 hours, the calf is taken to the sanctuary for examination, treatment, feeding, and assignment of a human “mother.”
Currently, the sanctuary is home to 45 baby elephants of different ages. These elephants are fed goat milk at three-hour intervals throughout the day and night. Lenanyokie notes that goats and elephants share similar browsing habits, which is why they feed the elephants goat milk supplemented with ground moringa tree leaves, honey, vitamins, algae, and coconut oil.
The Samburu community has directly benefited from the sanctuary through the employment of 120 keepers, and 60 percent of revenue from tourism is returned to the society for building schools, bursaries, and other development projects. However, sustaining operations at the Reteti sanctuary and the entire Namunyak conservancy remains a challenge.
World Animal Protection has partnered with Reteti to support the rehabilitation and rewilding of rescued elephants by providing veterinary care, supporting the goat milk program, and smoothing the rewilding process. Dr. Patrick Muinde, Research and Planning Manager at World Animal Protection, emphasizes their commitment to ensuring animals belong in the wild. The partnership ensures 1,250 Samburu women supply the sanctuary with 1,000 liters of goat milk daily.
Over the years, 26 elephants have been released into the wild. Reteti’s mission has expanded, and the sanctuary has also been home to rescued giraffes, ostriches, kudus, and oryx, with a rhino and a buffalo released into the wild at one time.
