Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Nairobi

An orphanage for baby elephants on the edge of Nairobi National Park. Visitors can spend one hour each day watching keepers bottle-feed orphaned calves and watch mud baths, and they can sponsor an elephant.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was founded in 1977 by Daphne Sheldrick. It rescues baby elephants and rhinos orphaned by poaching, drought, and human-elephant conflict. It has raised more than 300 orphaned elephants and released them into Tsavo National Park, making it the world's most successful elephant rescue program. The orphanage is on Magadi Road on the western side of Nairobi National Park, near Karen. It is open to the public for one hour a day, from 11:00 to 12:00. Keepers bring more than a dozen baby elephants aged 3 months to 3 years to the fence, feed them with large bottles, and watch them roll in mud and kick balls around. Staff introduce each elephant by name and story and explain the conservation work. Visitors can watch from the fence and even touch elephants passing by. Visits must be booked in advance at sheldrickwildlifetrust.org. Daily slots are limited and fill weeks ahead in peak season. Entry costs USD 20 per person in 2025, paid in cash or online. Sponsoring an elephant starts at USD 50 per year, and sponsors can visit privately at the 17:00 "bedtime" session. The orphanage is usually combined with the Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen Museum for a half-day tour of Karen. Arrive before 10:30 to get a front-row spot at the fence. Parking and security checks take time. Bring a hat and water, as the fenced area has no shade. Don't feed the elephants or make loud noises. It's the most direct lesson in Kenya's wildlife conservation, and it's a favorite stop for children.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage

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