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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 3h

The cheetah is the world's fastest land animal, capable of reaching 120 kph – but it hasn't been able to outrun the human threats pushing it towards extinction. Fewer than 7,000 remain in Africa. When a cheetah named Milele was found with an injured leg, our SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit answered.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 21h

After seeing Wamata's ambitious entrance into the coveted browsing quadrant, many of you wondered whether she managed the dismount with equal determination. For a moment, it looks as though she might vault right over little Daba, before thinking better of it and tucking back into the browsing.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

With style and determination – and no small amount of heaving and hoisting – Wamata clambered her way over the fence and into her own paradise: the fenced area by Max's stockade, where the older orphans sneak in for some illicit pre-forest browsing. www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/wamata

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

During the dry season, waterholes can quickly change from givers to takers of life. As water levels fall, the mud can harden into a treacherous trap. When this elephant became completely encased in dried mud, our SWT/KWS Tsavo Veterinary Unit rushed in to help and free him.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Kaikai is our budding ornithologist. She's fascinated by the hornbills that flutter and flit around by day – and she'd very much like the feeling to be mutual. As you can see, it's a work in progress! www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/kaikai

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

With your support, our teams are patrolling every day — on foot and by air — to help ensure elephants like this aspiring tusker are protected and have a safe home in which to roam. Donate at: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/donate

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

A night trapped in mud had left this sub-adult female exhausted, but the SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit was there to help. Working carefully, the team roped her and pulled her free. A life saved, and a very happy ending. Your support, and our partnership with KWS, make these successes a reality.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Our 2027 Calendar has just dropped! Featuring a year’s worth of photos of our orphan herd, it makes a wonderful gift for any SWT supporter – and a daily reminder of the wildlife you help protect. Proceeds from every purchase support our conservation work in Kenya.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Having polished off her two bottles of milk, Rokka remains in situ, gazing lovingly at her Keeper in the hope that he might magically reveal that today is the day she gets a third! Two bottles are, however, ample for this little glutton, who then heads down to the mud bath with the Voi herd.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Just as nature intended: a herd of buffaloes making their way to a natural waterhole to drink, wallow and cool off. Protecting wildlife means protecting the habitats and freedom they need to live naturally, without fear. Learn more: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Morning greetings from Bungalu! Someone is clearly pleased to see us this morning – although whether that swinging trunk is a greeting or an attempt to investigate the camera is up for debate! Bungalu spent weeks alone in the Tsavo wilderness before he was rescued.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Wamata has found a new toy! Rescued alone and in poor condition from Tsavo East in September 2024, Wamata has come a long way. Once shy and withdrawn, she is now very much part of the Nursery herd – and has plenty of energy for a little morning play. A sturdy log is all she needs!

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Up close with Balguda, an icon of Tsavo and one of the many elephants we protect. Born around the time the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was established, this remarkable tusker has survived decades of drought, poaching and the many challenges of life in the wild. www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Helping elephants and people coexist. When this bull elephant wandered onto community land, our team sprang into action. With the fence safely opened by an SWT/KWS ground team, our pilot expertly guided him back towards the safety of the National Park.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This is a big deal for Bungalu! For six months after his rescue, he never lay down – too weak and unsure he could get back up. Now, he's strong enough to enjoy a leisurely dust bath. Little Kaikai, however, wasn't convinced. Seeing her best friend lying down, she rushed over to nudge him back up!

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Decisions, decisions for Dabida: who should I have my midday milk feed from? 🍼🐘 Rescued during the devastating 2022 drought, Dabida arrived weak, emaciated and dehydrated. With time, compassion and plenty of milk, she grew into our feisty 'kali girl', known for her strong spirit and sharp temper.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A night trapped in mud had left this sub-adult female elephant exhausted, but the SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit was there to help. Working carefully, the team roped her and pulled her free. A life saved, and a very happy ending. Get involved at: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/donate

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Every one of these elephants was rescued at their greatest time of need; they receive specialist care day and night before being given a second chance to return to the wild. After their midday feed, the 20 milk-dependent orphans in our current 22-strong Voi herd enjoy a mega mud bath session. 🐘

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Coexistence is key to successful, long-term wildlife conservation – and today, the SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit took a step towards it. The team deployed a tracking collar on this lioness at Mugie Wildlife Conservancy, allowing KWS to alert the community when the lions are nearby.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Every day at Kaluku, battle commences over the fresh water hose – and Mwinzi was always one of the fiercest contenders. Then small Korbessa made 'hose wars' her own, winning through sheer persistence – and these days, with the boys in Ithumba, she guards it from Kaluku's newcomers.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

236.6 hours in the air. 30,180 kilometres covered. August was a demanding month for our Aerial Unit, from two challenging elephant translocations and a major rhino notching operation to supporting anti-poaching patrols, wildlife rescues and tackling a 3,900 acre bushfire.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Keeper Peter has a rather zealous support team! His sidekicks and shadows, orphaned zebras Brutus and Bombi, take their devotion to the next level – keep an eye out for Bombi holding Peter's hand, the zebra way! The zebras insist on being first out each morning.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Two days, two giant elephant translocations. On Tuesday, we moved one truant bull who had developed a dangerous habit of breaking onto community land. On Wednesday, we moved his partner-in-crime. Now both bulls are back together, with abundant food and water and space to roam safely.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Kipekee – here adopting a frog pose more commonly associated with Korbessa – is no longer the smallest member of the Nursery herd. That distinction now belongs to tiny Zuri. But being the second-smallest doesn't mean she gets any less attention from the Nursery's mini matriarchs.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

We're delighted – at long last – to introduce three very special orphaned elephants: Dabida, Seri and Ushindi. Their stories began during the brutal 2022 drought in southern Tsavo. Our Voi Reintegration Unit found itself at the epicentre of the crisis. www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/voi-herd

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Lemeki and Thamana wasted no time this morning. As the water bowser rolled in to top up the trough at Voi, the two were straight there – drinking their fill before the fresh water had even settled. This is one of a dozen water bowsers we operate, travelling across Tsavo filling waterholes.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Kaikai has earned herself a new nickname: Little Disturbance. She’s taken to dashing back from the bush whenever she feels like it, trumpeting loudly as she runs and making quite an entrance. Bungalu, by contrast, is patient and never rushes anywhere. It’s Kaikai’s world and we just live in it!

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

We had a surprising leader of the dawn patrol this morning. Usually, the ex-orphans are led by one of the ex-orphan matriarchs – but today, it was a big wild bull, with plenty of swagger to spare. He knew the routine and was eager to take charge! Every elephant here is living wild in Tsavo East.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

When you wear SWT, you’re part of our family. 🐘 You’re representing the work we do, the wildlife we protect, and the orphaned elephants we care for. Wherever you are in the world, wear your support and help us share the story of our work. www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/shop

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Today marks two years since Wamata was rescued! When she was found, Wamata was utterly alone in Tsavo East – a milk-dependent calf who had somehow kept herself alive by eating vegetation. In her early days, she could be found delicately selecting the best leaves while others guzzled milk.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Two years ago today, our pilot Neville spotted a lone elephant calf during an aerial patrol along the Tiva River in northern Tsavo East. No mother, no herd – and repeated sweeps found no family nearby. KWS greenlit a rescue and our teams moved in.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

David had Goliath. Lenny has baboons. Every evening, the Battle for the Pellets Place unfolds. Outnumbered but determined, Lenny has several impressive manoeuvres before finally sending the pilfering primates packing. But when the baboons start scrapping among themselves, he retreats to Mum!

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

There's a new princess at the Nairobi Nursery, and she knows it. Zuri joined the herd just a few months ago and has already inherited the title of spoilt baby from Kipekee. She drinks her milk pressed close to her favourite nanny, Mzinga, and that security gives her the confidence for mischief.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

For all their size, elephants can disappear into thick bush almost without trace. One moment, two of the Nursery's biggest orphans, Taroha and Mzinga, are right in front of you; the next, they've stepped into the greenery and vanished. Blink, and the bush appears empty again.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Three orphans, three different approaches to getting dirty. Who did it best? 🐘 Daba – throwing dust over his back and thoroughly pleased with himself. Lumo – turning an ordinary mud bath into an event, sending muddy water everywhere. Maktao – creating a veil of dust like smoke from a trunk chimney.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

An elephant calf trapped in a septic tank. A giraffe caught in a snare. A hippo orphaned as a newborn. A rhino in need of a second chance. Whatever the emergency, your support puts our teams on the ground – and gives us the means to care for them until they return to the wild.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Bungalu goes wherever Kaikai goes. Rescued in February after a remarkable ordeal, five months later Bungalu is settled and sturdier, trailing devotedly behind his self-appointed big sister as she charges into whatever mischief catches her eye.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Baby elephant, big drama. Little Moon was happily bimbling around until she realised she'd lost track of Mum. Cue a very full-sized bellow from the little three-month-old – and a frantic dash back to Melia, who was, it must be said, unconcerned! www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/news/updates...

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A snare is one of the cruellest and deadliest threats facing Kenya's wildlife. A loop of wire, cheap to make and quick to hide, set along a trail or beside water – and it catches whatever finds it first. Every snare cleared is a life quietly saved before any harm is done.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Little princess Losoito expects the royal treatment! She insists on being first in line for every milk feed – racing to the front and bellowing in indignation if anyone gets there first – and often prefers to hold court in a mud wallow all by herself. www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/loso...

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Breakfast at Voi usually splits the herd in two – one group on lucerne, another on range cubes, everyone in their own spot. On this morning, Akina rewrote the routine. Midway through her lucerne, she gathered up her bunch, carried it across to the others, and settled down among them.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Three photographs, one winner. Which one gets your vote? Taroha – the Nursery's easygoing boss, mid-greens. Arthi – mid-throw, with flowers flying everywhere. Not yet two, already choosing his own direction. Akina & Hildana – side by side at Voi, with Akina sneaking off with her lucerne.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

A snare set for small game caught something far larger. Our SWT/KWS Tsavo Unit treated a young male leopard trapped by a cable snare just outside the park near Voi. The team carefully immobilised and treated him before moving him to the safety of Tsavo East. Prognosis is good.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#FlashbackFriday to when Pips first arrived at Kaluku. 12 months ago, an orphaned giraffe calf – just a couple of weeks old – was reported near our Kaluku Field Headquarters in Tsavo. She had been seen alone, quietly coming to a water trough to drink before melting back into the thick bush.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

At our Kaluku Neonate Unit, the orphans come in all shapes, sizes and species. Baby elephants, antelope, buffaloes, zebras, young giraffes, Bumpy the hippo and Chamboi the rhino all currently rely on the Keepers for their daily care. www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/donate

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Tytan is a veteran when it comes to Notty's antics! Zebras are quite mouthy by nature – and black rhinos are not. She has always been his self-appointed bodyguard, charging at full gallop after any wild animal that dares approach. Baboons, impalas and even warthogs are firmly seen off.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Elephant society is built on respect. When our dependent herd gathered for a drink at Ithumba, they deferred to their senior, Challa, a 21-year-old ex-orphan. Then, when the wild bulls wanted to drink, Challa stepped respectfully aside. He's still a junior rank in elephant society.

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @sheldricktrust.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Nyambeni is our Nursery’s ‘kali mama’ – an overzealous nanny like no other! When she’s looking after one of the little babies, her friends become foes. Anyone who dares to roughhouse, accidentally nudge, or even innocently linger near ‘her’ baby is dealt with swiftly and sternly.

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