Back to Nature Wildlife

[Back to Nature Wildlife @BacktoNatureWL]

Rocky loves attention. The little guy can't help but cheese anytime he gets some lovin'

[Back to Nature Wildlife @BacktoNatureWL]

Meet our newest rescue. 🦝

This little guy is still settling in, but he’s already making himself right at home. A little nervous, very curious, and apparently a big fan of the comfortable accommodations. 😂

Welcome to the family, little one. 🌿

[Back to Nature Wildlife @BacktoNatureWL]

Someone is VERY pleased with himself today. 🦝😂

We’re not exactly sure what he did to earn that smile, and honestly, we’re a little afraid to ask.

Life around here is never boring when you have faces like this greeting you every morning.

[Back to Nature Wildlife @BacktoNatureWL]

Double trouble. 🦝🦝

These two have become quite the pair since arriving in our care. Whether they’re exploring, playing, or getting into a little mischief, they’re almost always side by side.

Never a dull moment with these two around. 🌿

[Back to Nature Wildlife @BacktoNatureWL]

Someone figured out where the camera is. 🦝📸

Safe to say, our little guy has become quite the expert at posing for pictures. 😂

[Back to Nature Wildlife @BacktoNatureWL]

A little more freedom every day. 🦉

Building strength, confidence, and those wings — all part of the journey back to the wild. 🌿

[Back to Nature Wildlife @BacktoNatureWL]

A little enrichment and a whole lot of fun. 🦝💚

Our little raccoon discovered the ball pit today — and safe to say, it was an instant favorite. 😂

[Back to Nature Wildlife @BacktoNatureWL]

Meet our newest little patient. 🦝💚

This young raccoon was found alone with no mother in sight. He’s now safe in our care, getting plenty of rest and everything he needs to grow stronger.

One little step closer to getting back to nature. 🌿

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

A security escort for three bulls who found themselves far from home.

The dry season is challenging for everyone. As resources grow scarce, elephants are increasingly tempted onto community land, where their presence can have serious consequences for people who rely on crops for food or income.

Working with the Kenya Wildlife Service, our pilots provide aerial intervention to help elephants safely navigate community land and shepherd them back to the park before conflict can arise.

No matter the season, we’ll be there to support elephants and the communities who live alongside them.

To learn more about our donor-funded conservation work, visit: https://t.co/x1bzkWCgAK

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

Dare we say naughty Kipekee is… growing up? Since Zuri arrived and took her crown as the smallest and most spoiled member of the Nairobi herd, Kipekee’s manners have improved by a mile. Perhaps she’s determined to prove she’s the more mature of the two!

Of course, she’s still a little princess to our Nursery nannies. Here, she helps herself to mouthfuls of Nyambeni’s hard-earned greens, with little complaint from the older girl!

Rescued last June after losing her mother to human-wildlife conflict, Kipekee arrived in very poor condition. A year of round-the-clock care has seen her blossom, both physically and emotionally.

Support her journey through an adoption, from $50/£35 a year: https://t.co/yhPulvkrxr

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

Kinna was just days old when she was pulled from the mud in Meru in 1999. Now 26, she is living wild at Ithumba, but she has never forgotten the way home.

Last December, she appeared from the east with a tiny new calf, her third daughter, Kito. Months later, the Keepers found Kinna standing watch as daughters Kama, Kaia and Kito slept beside her, her own little family gathered around her.

This week, she came to visit us with Kaia and Kito.

Meet the orphans whose stories span decades: https://t.co/CooVpdJj7e

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

Exactly three months ago, we were called to rescue a baby elephant who had become trapped inside a septic tank. This was the sight that greeted our team that night.

Working alongside the Kenya Wildlife Service, our team worked late into the night to free little Zuri. Her herd had long since left the area, and she now needed somewhere safe to stay. We flew her to our Nairobi Nursery, where her new chapter began.

Zuri has transformed from a shy, frightened wallflower into, well, a bit of a diva. In fact, she’s even giving Kipekee a run for her money!

Read a special update on Zuri’s progress: https://t.co/xUe6KRNq5c

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

With age comes wisdom.. and size, seniority, and strategic insights – and Ndotto is using all of it to his advantage!

Although he is now living wild as part of Mbegu’s ex-orphan herd, Ndotto continues to visit the Voi stockades most mornings. He strategically positions himself at the end of the line where the range cubes are distributed, then scoops as much as he can into his 'zone'. Using his extra large body as a physical barrier, he ensures no one else can tap into his stash.

As Keeper Philip observed: “Ndotto is very intelligent! He decided to create a blockage so that nobody else can access the range cubes. Thamana tried to request permission, but no way.”

Enjoy more insights from our Orphans' Project at: https://t.co/7BeLeWf9cI

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

Look closely at Ashanti’s trunk and you’ll spot the scar left by a poacher’s snare.

The snare severed the tip of her trunk before her rescue, taking the two 'fingers' she would normally use to grasp her food. She has been inventing workarounds ever since.

On her very first day out with the Voi herd, Ashanti dropped to her knees and began grazing straight from the ground with her mouth. The older orphans looked on, seemingly bemused, as she worked out a way to feed herself. Today, she can scoop pellets from the trough with her mouth or flip lucerne into it with a front foot.

We have seen countless elephants live full, wild lives with damaged trunks, even half a trunk, and Ashanti is well on her way.

Your support ensures we can be there for Ashanti and all the orphans in need of our care. Discover her story at:
https://t.co/LlO9SOfNY0

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

This big bull was owning the Ithumba mud bath!

Not so long ago, this sight was unthinkable. When we established our Ithumba Reintegration Unit in 2004, it was rare to see a single wild elephant. The northern sector of Tsavo had been scarred by decades of poaching and limited water resources, and as a result, wild elephants gave it a wide berth.

Over the years, working in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service, we helped secure Ithumba and nurtured it into a safe, sustainable habitat. Slowly but surely, the elephants returned. It started with a single bull ‘rafiki’ – and before long, the northern sector of the park transformed into a hub for elephants.

This bull is one such regular visitor – an entirely wild elephant, feeling totally at ease in his environment.

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

A wire snare had tightened around the left hind leg of an adult female buffalo at Hippo Point, Naivasha.

Our SWT/KWS Rift Valley Vet Unit reached her and removed it. Fortunately, the wound beneath it was not yet too deep. After cleaning and treatment, she has a good prognosis for a full recovery.

A buffalo is one of Kenya’s most formidable animals. But a thin loop of wire doesn’t discriminate – it can catch anything that crosses its path.

Our thanks to KWS, whose partnership ensures our veterinary teams can reach wildlife in need.

Discover more about our wildlife treatments: https://t.co/ITPl92q0MX

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

We have now met 94 babies born wild to orphan elephants we rescued, raised and rewilded. In a wonderful demonstration of the lifelong bond they form with the Keepers, many of our ex-orphan mums return to our reintegration units after giving birth to show off their babies to the people who raised them. We have even witnessed several mothers returning to give birth at our units!

Every rescue carries this possibility within it. At our Umani Springs unit, we are watching a new generation of elephants enter the world. What began with two elephants in 2014 – Murera and Sonje – has grown into a family herd already featuring four wild-born babies, with more on the way!

This success is one of five examples of elephant conservation in action: https://t.co/QlTGqOXg86

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

Kipekee means “unique” in Swahili – and she’s certainly lived up to her name.

When rescued a year ago, she was tiny enough to need a blue blanket for warmth during the day and to keep her snuggled at night. Today, following 16 months of specialist care and more than 5,000 bottles of milk – made possible with your support – she’s one of the Nursery’s big girls, growing in confidence and independence.

Discover Kipekee’s story and be part of her journey back to the wild by adopting her: https://t.co/yhPulvkrxr

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

Scenes from our latest quarter of community support, with a special focus on the next generation. Alongside our hugely impactful lunch programme and school scholarships, between April and June alone, we took 600 local students on a day-long safaris in Tsavo through our fully subsidised, SWT-led field trips.

Seeing elephants and other wildlife amongst nature (including the elusive leopard for one lucky group!), learning about their natural heritage in the process – these are educational, inspiring experiences that inspire future conservationists.

Learn more about our field conservation projects and community outreach work – and find out how to support our mission: https://t.co/4UO7ldcz2P

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

One thing about Lima Lima: motherhood hasn’t cramped her style! She has always been on her own planet – and that hasn’t changed, even now that little Lenny is in her orbit.

But Lima Lima may be a lesson for us all. She takes care of herself so she can better look after everyone else. She’s the Umani Keepers’ most devoted guardian, always on the lookout for danger and the first to investigate any unusual sound or smell. We really rely on her.

So while Lima Lima enjoying some “me” time as her friends watch Lenny may look unremarkable, there’s more to the story.

Learn more about our Umani family: https://t.co/o4N5UDA3UG