It is only fitting, then, that a global ‘foster family’ has emerged as the greatest source of support to our own herd or orphans. In this month’s Field Notes, I explore the beginnings of our foster programme and delve into all the wonderful work that goes into it.

I hope you enjoy — and if you are a foster parent, thank you so much for being part of our herd. You make our work possible. (If you are not yet a member of our foster family, you can adopt an orphan here.)

– Angela Sheldrick

Our orphans live blissfully unaware of the world outside their patch. Their entire universe sits within the red earth of Tsavo, with its winding rivers and chattering weaver birds, its star-spangled skies and rustling scrub bush. If only they knew that their very lives are underpinned by an incredibly generous, extraordinarily engaged foster family from around the world.

The beginning of the twenty-first century was a leap into the unknown. It was the dawn of the internet, which suddenly connected all corners of the world with a single click. (Or, more accurately for the times, a prolonged dial-up!)

2001 also marked the year that my husband, Robert, and I took the helm of the Trust. My mother, Daphne, founded Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in 1977 to continue the conservation vision she shared with my father, David Sheldrick. Daphne spent the next two decades honing the pioneering husbandry required to raise orphaned elephants and rhinos, and developing our Orphans’ Project. She was ably assisted by my sister, Jill, in those early years.

When Robert and I picked up the baton from Daphne and Jill, our goal was to build upon the foundations they had laid. The Trust’s orphans captured the hearts of the few who knew about them, but how could we connect our little elephants with people from around the world? Suddenly, a global audience became possible.

We already had a website, which was a rather new and exhilarating concept in the early 2000s. (Unbelievably, given today’s very connected world, the website was developed by post: Paul MacKenzie, who kindly made the initial site, was based in Canada. He would build pages, then send photos of them by mail to Daphne for feedback. Daphne was analog, so this entire digital age was quite foreign to her. It is hard to believe this was little more than two decades ago!)

But we had so many incredible stories to tell, so many little miracles just waiting to be introduced to a community beyond our shores. Anyone who has spent time in the presence of elephants knows that they are a fount of entertainment. The dramas and poignancies of their daily lives could rival any soap opera. And we had witnesses with a front-row seat to it all: Our incredible Keepers, who watch over the orphans 24 hours a day.

We knew that if people only understood the wonderful complexities of elephants, they would rally around their conservation. So, we gave our Keepers a camera, a notebook, and a pen, and asked them to document the orphans’ daily lives.

Then, harnessing the novel power of the internet, we developed a digital, first-of-its-kind foster programme that could bring the stories of our orphans into living rooms around the world. We knew that we wanted it to be all-digital, so as to create an inclusive, sustainable programme — every single foster parent would receive their updates at the same time, without the headaches, delays, expense, and waste that mail-by-post can bring.

Again, I contrast our process to the modus operandi of today’s world, where ‘influencer' is now a college degree. Rather than bring on glossy ‘content creators’, we have always held fast to our roots. Our Keepers write every single diary entry. Equipped with a camera and now, a smartphone, they capture priceless photographs and videos as each day unfolds.

Even more important, our Keepers have the intrinsic knowledge to narrate every scene: They know their orphan charges as well as they know their own human family. They understand why Kerrio is seeking out Shujaa for a game, why Kapei is being disciplined (again), why Ngilai is courting Tagwa, and why the arrival of Wendi causes all the Keepers to brace themselves… to draw from some of our current herd dynamics!

In hindsight, the debut of our foster programme came at a pivotal time for African elephants. Just a few years later, an unprecedented wave of ivory poaching would take hold across Africa. Our little orphans became ambassadors for their species, teaching the world why it was so very important to stand in opposition to the ivory trade. Upon learning the stories of Quanza, Barsilinga, Roi, and the countless other calves orphaned by poachers, how could one possibly think ivory was a worthy purchase?

The orphans have also become architects of the preservation of their wild kin, inspiring people to support wider conservation efforts. They have acted as megaphones for the greatest challenges facing African elephants today. During the poaching crisis, they inspired people to say no to ivory. In times of drought, they serve as stark reminders of the very real, very tragic impacts of climate change. As human-wildlife conflict takes its toll, they encourage people to remember the very victims of habitat loss and development.

Through better understanding of our orphans, people all over the world have become champions of African elephants. Some have been inspired to make a trip to Kenya, specially to visit their adoptees; others make an impact at home, gifting adoptions for birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. Now, our not-for-profit Eco Lodges give foster parents special access to our Reintegration Units, which unlocks an unforgettable, completely unique safari experience.

Our foster parents cross every generation, from toddlers to nonagenarians. Some people have been adopting their orphan for years, even decades. I cherish hearing from foster parents who continue to symbolically adopt their orphan, even once they are grown, living wild, and raising their own family.

Raising an orphaned elephant is an expensive, long-term commitment. The entire process, from rescue to wild reintegration can take upwards of a decade. Each orphan requires round-the-clock care, thousands and thousands of milk bottles, prodigious amounts of supplementary food and water, along with veterinary care, and specialised accommodations. By adopting, foster parents help fund this daunting undertaking, ensuring we are in a position to care for the orphans of today and prepare for the rescues of tomorrow.

Since 2001, without fail, our monthly Orphans’ Project update has been emailed to foster parents around the world on the 15th of every month. An enormous amount of love — and hard work — goes into each and every update we send:

First, our Keepers hand write daily diary entries, across our orphan units. We then transcribe these daily diary entries and upload them onto our website. From there, a summary of the month’s main events is crafted. Each diary entry comes with a batch of corresponding photos, taken by our Keepers in the field. We go through every single photo, choosing the very best for our foster family.

For smaller units that do not have daily diary entries (our Kaluku Neonate Nursery) we make a special monthly video to give foster parents an in-depth look into the orphans’ lives. I also paint a monthly watercolour inspired by our orphan herd, which can be downloaded for any foster parent’s enjoyment. I love to think of people building a collection of watercolours over time.

All this content is uploaded onto our website, and also condensed into an email send-out. Foster parents are able to access the latest updates on any orphan, at any time, via our website. They are also the first to know any special updates — our unexpected reunion with Kitiak and Chemi Chemi’s return home for help stand out as two recent examples.

People often lament the internet — how, through its quest of connectivity, it has actually made us more disconnected than ever. In many respects, I agree. However, for conservation, the internet has been a game-changer. It has also connected people around the world with the stories of Toto, Chamboi, Talek, Twiggy, Raha, Olomunyak, and so many other orphans. It has turned the conservation challenges facing Kenya into a global rallying cry, helping us hold onto our precious natural heritage in the process.

We saw how it tipped the scales in the ivory poaching crisis. Now, as we brace ourselves for the challenges of the future — climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and the ever-lurking threat of poaching — I am comforted in knowing that our global foster family stands behind us.

Of equal importance, our foster parents, from all corners of the world, have become part of our story. Raising orphaned elephants is a difficult calling — Daphne aptly called it ‘a cocktail of joy, tempered with a good dose of tears’ — and having the bolster of such a steadfast, supportive community keeps us going. You celebrate our herd’s triumphs alongside us, mourn our tragedies, and inspire us to continue our important work, each and every day.

It is a joy, a privilege, and such a power to have you as part of our herd.