It begins at our Nairobi or Kaluku Nursery, where infant elephants heal from the trauma that left them orphaned. Some lost their families to poachers or human-wildlife conflict, others were abandoned in the drought, still others’ stories remain a mystery. It is at our nurseries that they are introduced to the human-elephant family who will play a pivotal role in the rest of their lives.

Once in our care, Keepers remain by the orphans’ sides day and night. Infant elephants are emotionally needy creatures, and a parental figure is vital during this fragile period. Keepers provide this comforting presence, filling their little charges’ bellies with warm bottles of milk and bunking up next to them as they drift off to sleep.

When orphans become frightened (which can happen from even the most innocuous event — a chameleon falling off a branch has sent the entire Nairobi Nursery herd into a panic!), it is the Keepers who calm them down and help them find their courage. When they push the envelope, trying to steal an extra milk bottle or cheekily shoving a friend, it is the Keepers who warn them to mind their manners with a stern finger wag. When they need reassurance, it is the Keepers who offer soft words of encouragement or a finger to suckle on.

As the elephants grow older, they also begin to take on this parental role. Many females become mini matriarchs, nurturing younger orphans and providing discipline to their peers. Some bulls morph into ‘gentle uncles’, looking after the rest of the herd with surprising sensitivity. Others act as mentors to up-and-coming bulls, helping them build up their strength and confidence. Together, these elephants who have been robbed of their families learn how to live as nature intended.

Every orphan eventually outgrows the Nursery stage. Some become too big for their britches and would clearly benefit from the authority of older elephants. Others simply crave a wider social circle and more excitement than the placid Nursery routine. Whatever the reason, we can always read the signs when an orphan is ready to take the next step.

That next step unfolds at one of our three Reintegration Units. Orphans graduate alongside their friends to either Voi, Ithumba, or Umani Springs. Each of these units is strategically placed in the heart of Kenya’s protected elephant country. Voi and Ithumba sit in the vast Tsavo landscape, while Umani is tucked away in the lush Kibwezi Forest. We plan their graduation destination carefully, taking into account an orphan’s needs, physical condition, and existing friendships.

Reintegration Units are all about gaining independence, meeting wild elephants, and learning the ways of the wild. Still, the Keepers continue to play a pivotal role in the orphans’ lives, shepherding them through this period of exploration. As infants, orphaned elephants are loath to leave their Keepers’ sides. Adolescents, much like their human counterparts, take every opportunity to prove their independence. But even as they spread their wings, they still return ‘home’ each evening, stout legs churning and ears flapping as they run to meet their beloved Keepers.

Most importantly, Keepers know when it is time to let an orphan go wild. This is a bittersweet moment, the culmination of years wholly committed to cultivating their physical and emotional well-being. The Keepers’ enormous dedication — the long days guiding orphans through the wilderness, long nights sleeping by their sides — has all been working up to this point. Each elephant’s reintegration unfolds uniquely and entirely at their own pace. Some join their friends in the wild quite abruptly. Others tiptoe their way into independence, beginning with tentative days away from the dependent herd, then progressing to spending nights outside the stockades.

However, to think that orphans go wild without a backwards glance would be to underestimate the emotional capacity of elephants. Family is everything to elephants; in the wild, herds remain tethered to each other through generations. For our orphans, it is no different. Even when an orphan goes wild, it is not really ‘goodbye’. They never forget the people who raised them. Some are frequent visitors, others pop in sporadically, after months or even years away.

When an ex-orphan gives birth, they often make a beeline for the stockades where they were raised, eager to celebrate their new arrival with their human-elephant family. To date, we have met 55 calves born to orphans we rescued, raised, and reintegrated back into the wild. These ‘grandbabies', who are brought up as entirely wild elephants, become part of our extended family.

This is a poignant World Elephant Day for us. As a species, elephants face a constant barrage of threats. In the early 21st century, it was poaching. At the peak of the crisis, one elephant was killed every 15 minutes for its ivory. Thanks to dedicated efforts on the ground and around the world, the poaching threat has diminished, although it will never be fully extinguished.

But now, other, more complex challenges have come to the fore. The size of our orphan herd is always a telling indicator of conditions in the field. In the past two years, we rescued more orphaned elephants than the previous five years combined. This happened in tandem with a devastating drought that swept across the country. Climate change is unfolding before our eyes, and wildlife are caught in the crosshairs. As habitats shrink, competition over food and water resources increases, leading to human-wildlife conflict. All these factors converged to drive an influx of orphans in 2021-2022. And still, the rescues continue to pour in.

Thanks to supporters like you, we are able to give these orphans the second chance they deserve. Because of you, we can always answer the call, flying, driving, and even hand-carrying elephants from harrowing fates. Your donations take the form of wheelbarrows full of milk bottles, stables brimming with greens, rescue planes flying to the furthest reaches of Kenya, Keepers outfitted for long days in the field, and of course, little orphans clad in colourful blankets.

By choosing to adopt an orphaned elephant this World Elephant Day, you are making the investment of a lifetime. Our family is growing, and you are an important part of it. Our youngest orphans will be in our care for upwards of a decade. Those living wild may continue to lean on us for support, especially as weather patterns become more unpredictable. Just as family is everything to elephants, it is everything to us, too. We make a lifetime commitment to our orphans and to our extended elephant family — and thanks to you, we are able to deliver on this commitment, for 46 years and counting.