As heartbreaking as it seems these little orphans will be raised in order to be returned to the wild. The centre provides the traveller with an education of what it takes to help the African wildlife not only survive , but thrive. One extremely important thing to know isn't only tourists who gain an understanding, but the locals also are beginning to see the benefits of what this process does for the committee at large. Thankfully, poaching is down by 62%. Even if you're reading this from the comfort of your home, please note you can help the endeavour by "adopting" one of the orphans, either for yourself or as a unique gift for someone else. Our four grandchildren now are proud sponsors of their own baby elephant.

I have wanted to visit the elephant orphanage since I learned of it 20 years ago. The experience did not disappoint. The baby rhino getting his mud bath added an extra layer of delight to this wonderful experience. Each elephant is introduced with its name and story to the guests. The success of this venture is amazing. I hope to visit again.

This place was #1 on my list of things to see in Kenya. It was everything I hoped for and more. Being on a Globus tour got us a prime location at the fence line with great views of the baby elephants and my heart-little Raha the baby rhino who came out first and stole my heart with her story and how she romped around enjoying the attention and ear scratches. The Sheldrick Trust does amazing work in rescuing not only baby elephants and rhinos, but they also support a mobile vet unit that helps injured wildlife in the bush. The narration that the keeper gave was very informative while we watched the elephants drink their milk from large bottles. You can adopt an elephant for only $50 a year and know that money goes to a wonderful cause. I would go back again and again if I'm ever back in Nairobi.

Quite simply out of this world!! This was our third visit to visit the orphanage and we loved every second We have several adopted elephants of various ages at different units, so have seen how good a job this charity does. Each elephant has its own story and staff work tirelessly around the vlock to make their lives better until their eventual release. The babies are so sweet and gentle and the staff kind and helpful. Just amazing!

Our visit was perfectly perfect. As visitors who have long supported and adopted baby ellys over the past years, it was wonderful to come for a visit. Do plan your reservations on line three months in advance. I love that the crowd is limited in size and is one hour only. We had a baby rhino visit first and then baby ellys who are testing their new skills with trunks and will nuzzle your toes if you are lucky. They are always under the watchful eye of their keepers. Then the teenagers visit. All in all, a magical hour was spent. It's not Sheldrakes' fault that new fees have been added to park and to enter Nairobi National Park.

This group is doing amazing work to maintain the population of elephant in Kenya. It is an orphanage for young elephants found parentless in the wild that would not otherwise have survived. You get to meet the young elephants and listen to a senior keeper talk about how and where each elephant was found.

Family had recommended that we visit the orphanage, and we are so glad s that we did. We saw one baby rhino and 27 baby elephants. All were quite the entertainment. They follow their keepers around, are bottle fed, file in to the arena in an orderly line. The Orphanage does not train the animals—they rescue them and then prepare them to return to the wild in two or three years. A real delight.

We visited the park as part of a group safari tour. This is a nursery/rehab center for orphaned elephants and rhinos. There we saw many baby elephants being cared for and fed by multiple keepers in a corral while a guide spoke over the loudspeaker about each of the elephants. The keepers fed them from large baby bottles, and green leafy branches, and they made sure the elephants and onlookers did not come into adverse contact. After a period of time, they would round up the elephants back to their buildings, and release another group into the corral. The group would trumpet as they ran down the hill to the corral. At one point we saw a warthog and two baby warthogs run across the hill outside the corral. It takes about an hour to see the whole show. At the entrance to the parking lot was a building with restrooms.

All I can say is what a truly remarkable place…. It makes my heart sing. Their rescue operation is a staggering logistical feit with reintegration facilities all over Kenya (which I didn’t know at the time of my visit). Try and watch all their footage on You Tube before you go so you’re familiar with the orphans and their circumstances. The elephants came running out in their peer groups to take their bottles of milk from their respective keepers. Also a mention for Raha the tiniest baby rhino. They were all introduced by name. We were given an account of the tragic circumstances of their orphan status and subsequent rescue by SWT which I can’t deny made me weep. The upside is that whilst their stories unfold all the elephants are in front of you cavorting together in a mud hole full of water. Lying on top of each with only their trunk snorkels breaking the surface. A jigsaw of intertwined limbs and trunks complete with trumpets and grumblings of delight. They were clearly very happy and content elephants with the horrors of their past trauma firmly behind them. The love from their respective keepers was so very evident - soothing words of encouragement for new arrivals, a familiar hand to a trunk seeking contact. It was a joy to watch the interaction and guidance from their ‘human family.’ Unconditional love and trust. One thing I really respected SWT for is that they keep human interactions with the elephants to a minimum. It’s once a day for an hour and numbers are restricted. They have the balance of raising funds versus human interaction perfectly weighed off. The elephant’s welfare is paramount and it is at the forefront of everything they do. SWT are doing such great work not only with re wilding orphaned elephants and providing mobile veterinary units but also with conservation, reforestation and education into human, wildlife conflict. No judgement just understanding that we all have to nurture our land and each other in order to co exist and flourish. If you are doing an adoption, try and do it whilst you are visiting as I understand the ‘in person’ certificates are different from those done online. I have one frustration with visiting the Nairobi orphanage (nothing whatsoever to do with SWT). Because the SWT premises are located with the Nairobi National Park the Kenyan Government have decided to charge visitors the $45 PP park entrance fee on top of the very reasonable $20 pp fee to access SWT. This is to merely drive a mile down the road to get to the orphanage gate. This is a nonsense. This is a recent charge implemented in Sept 2023 and I am deeply concerned that this extra levy will have a negative impact on SWT, making a visit too expensive and putting people off going to this incredibly necessary organisation. Without funds they can’t continue with their rescue and reintegration success.

2006 ... wow 17 yrs ago. Thinking of it i feel so emotional. First encounter with the puppies of one of the big five. I smiled so hard . The guides explained the idea behind. Nth more to ask may b some games for kids. S restaurant.. what has been added since then?