Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage

Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, also known as the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) Nairobi Nursery, is a sanctuary dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and reintroducing orphaned elephants back into the wild.

It is part of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), an organization founded in 1977 by Daphne Sheldrick in memory of her late husband, David Sheldrick, who was a renowned naturalist and founding warden of Tsavo East National Park.

What is the purpose of the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage?

The primary mission of the orphanage is to rescue and care for baby elephants that have lost their mothers due to poaching, human-wildlife conflict, or natural causes. The orphans are cared for at the Nairobi Nursery until they are strong enough to be moved to reintegration units in Tsavo National Park, where they can gradually return to the wild.

The facility also plays a broader conservation role, raising awareness about elephant conservation and anti-poaching efforts. In addition to elephants, the orphanage rescues other wildlife species like rhinos and giraffes.

Where is the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage located?

The Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage is located within Nairobi National Park, right on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. Specifically, it’s situated about 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) south of the Nairobi city center, providing easy access for both tourists and locals. The orphanage is located off  Magadi Road, near the KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) Central Workshop Gate of Nairobi National Park.

What is the best time to visit the orphanage?

The orphanage opens its doors to visitors at 11:00 AM, which is the optimal time for a visit. To make the most of your visit, try to arrive by 10:30 AM, as this will give you ample time to settle in and find a good spot to witness the elephants’ midday feed and mud bath. It’s recommended to secure your preferred date at the earliest opportunity, particularly for weekend visits, as slots can quickly fill up.

How do I book a visit to the Elephant Orphanage?

The Nairobi Nursery welcomes visitors every day from 11 am to 12 noon, except on the 25th of December. Reservations must be made in advance through our reservations office. Kindly visit our Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Visit page for all the relevant information. On this page, you will find a detailed guide covering:

✓ On-site visitor protocols
✓ What to expect during your visit
✓ Directions to the Nairobi Nursery
✓ Pre-booking requirements and steps
✓ The Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage entry donation
✓ Additional KWS park fees (now required for all Nursery visitors by KWS)

Note: As of September 19, 2023, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) mandates that all visitors to the Daphne Sheldrick Nairobi Orphanage must pay the Nairobi National Park entry fee, even if they don’t plan to explore the park itself.

Since the fee is required, visitors are encouraged to follow up their nursery visit with a game drive through Nairobi National Park, offering a chance to see a range of wildlife, including rhinos, lions, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, and zebras in this renowned “World’s Wildlife Capital.”

If you have further questions, Kindly email us for a visit at info@africanspicesafaris.com for assistance.

How do I visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage?

Sheldrick Orphanage is a 45-minute drive from the city of Nairobi. It is inside Nairobi park. A team of people takes care of orphaned calves here. Visits are allowed for an hour from 11 am to 12 pm when they bring the youngest inmates to a cordoned-off area for their daily mud bath where they bottle-feed the hungry infants.

People are free to watch, get close, or even touch them but are not allowed to feed them. The keepers tell stories about how the elephants are faring and how the former orphans are progressing. The proceeds from souvenir sales at the shop go directly to support the work of the orphanage.

What happens during the Public visit to the orphanage?

The public visit is timed around our Nursery herd’s midday milk feed and mud bath. From a variety of viewing areas, you will see the orphaned elephants run out of the forest in groups for their much-loved bottles of specialist milk formula.

Afterward, all the orphans gather for playtime. Some wallow in the mud, while others challenge their friends to a wrestling match or indulge in a dust bath. Each day is unique among our Nursery herd. 

One of our senior Keepers leads the public visit, introducing you to each orphan, sharing a bit about their stories and personalities, and teaching you about our wider conservation work across Kenya. We always set aside time for questions at the end.

How do I book the private visit to the Elephant Orphanage?

Can I adopt an animal from the orphanage?

Yes, People are allowed to adopt elephants for a fee of $50/- a year. The orphanage provides an adoption certificate as well as up-to-date details about the status of the elephant on an ongoing basis.

The private session between 3 pm to 4 pm needs booking which allows the adopters some private time with their animals. With special permission, adopters can visit the sleepy elephants going to bed.

Elephant Feeding Sessions

The elephant feeding session is one of the most popular activities at the Daphne Sheldrick Animal Orphanage. Visitors have the unique opportunity to hand-feed orphaned elephants, usually during their mid-morning feed.

This session provides a close-up interaction with the elephants, allowing guests to learn about their individual stories and the challenges they face. The feeding process is educational and heartwarming, as the elephants are fed their milk formula from bottles and visitors can see their playful and affectionate nature.

Elephant Mud Bath

Following the feeding session, the elephants often participate in a mud bath, a natural behavior that helps them cool off and protect their skin from parasites. Visitors can watch this playful and messy activity from a designated viewing area.

The sight of young elephants rolling and splashing in the mud is both entertaining and educational, highlighting their natural behaviors and the importance of environmental enrichment for their well-being.

Nursery Tour

The nursery tour is an informative activity where visitors can explore the facilities and learn about the orphanage’s mission and conservation efforts. During the tour, guests are shown around the different enclosures and given insights into the rehabilitation process for the orphaned elephants. The guides share details about the care and feeding routines, the challenges of reintroducing the elephants to the wild, and the orphanage’s broader conservation goals.

Keeper Talks

Throughout the day, there are keeper talks where the dedicated staff share their experiences and knowledge about the elephants and the orphanage’s work. These talks offer in-depth information about each elephant’s background, the orphanage’s history, and the conservation challenges faced in Kenya. The keepers provide personal anecdotes and answer questions from visitors, enriching the educational experience.

Shopping at the Gift Shop

At the orphanage’s gift shop, visitors can purchase souvenirs and support the cause through their purchases. The shop offers a range of items, including elephant-themed memorabilia, art, and crafts. Proceeds from the gift shop go directly to the orphanage’s conservation and rehabilitation programs, helping to fund ongoing efforts to protect and care for orphaned wildlife.

Educational Presentations

Educational presentations are occasionally organized to further inform visitors about wildlife conservation, the plight of orphaned elephants, and the broader ecological impacts. These presentations are conducted by experts and are designed to enhance understanding and engagement with the conservation issues at hand.

Each of these activities provides a unique and enriching experience, contributing to the visitor’s understanding of wildlife conservation and the vital work done by the Daphne Sheldrick Animal Orphanage.

What is the history of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was founded in 1977 by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick in memory of her husband, David Sheldrick, a renowned naturalist and the first Warden of Tsavo East National Park. David Sheldrick began his career in 1948 with the Royal National Parks of Kenya, where he played a pivotal role in transforming Tsavo into Kenya’s largest and most famous national park. His legacy as a pioneering park warden continues to be celebrated.

Daphne Sheldrick, born in Kenya, worked alongside her husband for over 25 years, raising and rehabilitating various wild species at their home in Tsavo. She became an international authority on wildlife care, particularly known for developing the formula needed to successfully rear orphaned elephants and rhinos.

Following David’s death, Daphne and her family continued their conservation work in Nairobi National Park, establishing the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and its pioneering Orphans’ Project. Daphne’s daughter, Angela, who worked with her mother for two decades, now leads the Trust with her husband, Robert Carr-Hartley, and their two sons, continuing the family’s legacy of wildlife conservation.

How does the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust conserve the wildlife?

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, founded by a family passionate about Kenya’s wilderness, is a leading conservation organization in East Africa. Best known for its successful orphaned elephant rescue and rehabilitation program, the Trust has expanded its efforts over the past 46 years to adopt a comprehensive approach to wildlife conservation.

In addition to the Orphans’ Project, the Trust runs Aerial, Anti-Poaching, and Mobile Veterinary Units to protect wildlife and respond to animals in need. Their work includes rescuing orphaned elephants, rhinos, and other species, to release them back into the wild. The organization also engages with local communities through outreach programs and works to secure vital habitats to ensure wildlife has space to thrive.

Collaborating with the Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service, and local communities near national parks, the Trust focuses on reducing human-wildlife conflict and fostering a sustainable future for both people and wildlife.

Where is the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust located?

While the headquarters are located in Nairobi, they also have conservation projects in,

Tsavo

Tsavo – a combination of the Tsavo East National Park & Tsavo West National Park spanning 60,000 sq. km, boasts a diverse environment of lava flows, comiphora woodlands, savannah, swamps, and Lake Jipe.

The area is home to a wide array of wildlife, including elephants, black rhinos, oryx, gerenuk, kudu, zebras, elands, gazelles, buffalo, lions, leopards, cheetahs, painted dogs, and the rare hirola, along with over 500 bird species.

Major threats include ivory and bushmeat poaching, livestock incursions, charcoal burning, and habitat loss due to resource conflict. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) supports Tsavo through anti-poaching operations, mobile vet units, aerial surveillance, the Orphans’ Project, habitat conservation, eco-lodges, and community outreach programs.

David Sheldrick, the park’s founding Warden from 1949 to 1976, transformed Tsavo into a world-renowned park known for its red-dusted elephants. Despite poaching reducing the elephant population to 6,000 in the 1980s, numbers have since rebounded to around 12,000, with the Ithumba Reintegration Unit playing a key role in their recovery.

Meru

We work in Meru National Park, one of Kenya’s most unique and stunning Parks, to alleviate animal suffering and protect threatened wildlife, including endangered species, from human activities.

Amboseli

Amboseli National Park, covering 390 sq. km, features a diverse environment of wetlands, savannahs, and woodlands. It is home to abundant wildlife such as elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, lions, zebras, elands, wildebeests, and Thompson’s gazelles, along with over 600 species of birds.

The region faces significant threats from human-wildlife conflict, habitat destruction through deforestation, expanding agriculture, human settlements, and increasing livestock numbers. To address these challenges, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) supports the SWT/KWS Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit and funds land leases for the Kimana Corridor and Kimana Sanctuary.

Lamu

We work with local communities to protect Amu Ranch, a unique area of extraordinary biodiversity, to keep this stunning habitat and its wildlife protected for years to come.

Masai Mara

Home to the world-famous wildebeest migration, our work in the Maasai Mara National Reserve focuses on alleviating animal suffering.

Kibwezi Forest/ Chyulu Hills

We protect the Kibwezi Forest and the nearby volcanic Chyulu Hills National Park to safeguard this ancient groundwater forest and the orphaned elephants that live here.

Mount Kenya

Home to several rare and endangered species, we work in the Mount Kenya ecosystem as part of our mission to save wildlife, both large and small

Mau Forest

The Mau Forest, in the Rift Valley, is both the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa and the largest drainage basin in Kenya, receiving some of the country’s highest rainfall. It is a priceless water catchment area for Kenya and the source of numerous rivers, including the Mara, Sondu, and Njoro Rivers.

Notes

* Your entry donation is not pre-paid, but payable in cash upon entry to the SWT Nursery on the day of your booked visit.
* Please note that the SWT Nursery entry donation is separate to the newly imposed KWS National Park fee, which is now required to pass through the KWS Mbagathi Gate

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WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
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Email: info@africanspicesafaris.com
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com