The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) operates an orphan elephant rescue and wildlife rehab program in Nairobi, Kenya. Today, SWT went live on Instagram for the 9 AM milk feed. Its 22 young, orphaned elephants were thrilled for breakfast, to state the least.
“It is breakfast, and everybody wishes to have his or hers,” says head keeper Edwin as a 2nd wave of elephants runs in for bottles.
The elephants get two bottles of milk every 3 hours, day and night, Edwin informs the live audience. This amounts to about 24 liters of milk per 24 hr, simply under 6.5 gallons.
As the elephants drink, Edwin shares details about specific elephants, pointing them out by name. Each one is there by a different circumstance, however they’re all lucky to have been saved. Keepers at the Nairobi nursery let the elephants be as wild as possible until they’re all set for re-release.
Based on Edwin’s narrative, 3.5 years old seems to be about the age when the orphaned elephants are prepared for re-release into the wild.
“We let them be as wild as they wish to be,” he says, as the orphans end up lapping up their milk and head back into the forest. On the other hand, the human caretakers collect empty bottles, put them in wheelbarrows, and head back to start preparing for the next feed.
It sounds like the ultimate labor of love for these endangered animals. Enjoy the elephants get their 9 AM bottles here:
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) states environment loss and habitat fragmentation are 2 factors African elephants are threatened. Human-elephant conflict and poaching for ivory are two more significant causes for issue.
You can embrace one of these orphaned elephants here.
Watch as 22 orphaned elephants residing in an elephant rescue and wildlife rehab nursery in Nairobi, Kenya get their breakfast.