Reteti Elephant Sanctuary: How A Small Community In Kenya Is Making A Huge Difference in Elephant Conservation

The Sanctuary is located in the very remote Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya. This area is home to the second largest population of elephants in Kenya estimated at 8,700. The Conservancy’s name which means blessed in the local Samburu language is fitting considering the five to ten elephant calves that are rescued each year and make their way to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary.

Elephant Conservation in Kenya

While African elephants can be found in 37 African countries, Kenya is home to nearly 10 percent of the population. The people of Kenya have developed an increasing awareness of the importance of elephant herds to the ecological health of the nation’s habitats and natural spaces. The Kenyan government has worked to drive change by enforcing poaching laws, educating the public, and providing resources for elephant conservation.

Since the 1980s, the elephant population in Kenya has doubled and continues to grow. Still, there is much work that needs to be done. Elephants are still at risk of harm and injury as a result of human activity.

What Makes The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary Special?

The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary takes a unique approach and engages the entire community. The locals realized that many of the elephants that were being rescued from the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy were never making their way back to their family herds. Since the elephant population is vital to the health of the surrounding area, the people recognized that they needed to take a different approach.

Before the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, rescued elephants were taken by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust located in the capital city of Nairobi. The community decided to keep the elephants in the area and introduce them back into the same environment they were rescued from. Currently, they have thirty rescued elephants, and ten have already been returned to the wild,

The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary specializes in caring for young elephants. Many calves are orphaned or abandoned each year due to both natural and man-made hazards including poaching, drought, and loss of habitat. Some of the calves fall into wells that are around the community and used by the locals for their cattle and home use. At night the elephants will come and drink the water, but sometimes the calves will fall in and cannot get back out.

The Reteti team carefully tracks presumed abandoned calves in the hopes that their mothers will return for them. According to one of the Sanctuary’s representatives, “We give the elephant a window of 72 hours to see if their mother will come back before the elephant is brought into Reteti. From the start of the project, we have managed to reunite 12 elephants with their families and the rest come to the Reteti.”

Elephant Care at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been built specifically to care for the elephants. The facilities are complete with stables for the elephants to sleep at night, mud baths to play in, and a special kitchen to mix their feed.

The team works around the clock to keep the calves fed. Each elephant calf is fed every three hours using a special milk mix.

The Sanctuary also provides medical care for their elephants. When the Reteti Rescue Team is out on a rescue in the hot African bush, they never know what the day is going to bring them. When they find an abandoned or orphaned calf, some have serious injuries that need to be treated. Sadly, in severe cases, the calves are too injured and don’t make it.

A good example is a young male elephant named Long’uro. While trapped in a well, a hyena had bitten off Long’uro’s trunk. In the wild, this can be a serious and life-threatening injury. An elephant’s trunk is a crucial appendage that is used to breathe, drink water, communicate, smell, grasp objects, and pick up food. Fortunately, Long’uro is doing quite well despite having a very short trunk. “Long’uro is surviving with a short trunk… we are learning from him as to how an elephant can survive with a short trunk,” says a Reteti representative.

My Experience and Reasons to Visit Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

Although Reteti is located in an extremely remote area, you should make visiting a priority if you are visiting Samburu. A visit to the Sanctuary will give you an experience that is unique and authentic. The primary reason many people visit Africa is to see the beautiful landscape, wildlife, and get an insight into a culture that is drastically different from ours. In addition to the experience of a lifetime, you will also be making a difference to the local people and you will have the opportunity in helping to protect the local wildlife.

On my visit, I was paired with a keeper who gave me a tour of the facility. They showed me the kitchen where they mix the special milk formula that is easy to digest and nutritious for the elephants.

Although it is dedicated to the rescue of elephants, the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary also cares for other wildlife as well. I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to feed some of the Kudu (a type of long-horned antelope) calves currently calling Reteti home. Of course, one of the highlights was feeding time with the baby elephants. It was an amazing experience to hear them trumpeting as they ran to their keeper for a bottle of milk. After they were fed, the baby elephants headed off to playtime.

Looking through the guestbook, I realized that Reteti receives very few visitors in comparison to other sanctuaries. Visits are down even more due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, I was the only tourist during my visit apart from the two Samburu boys. The boys wearing brightly colored clothes and beaded jewelry had walked miles to reach the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. For locals, visiting is free and these young men seemed to enjoy watching the elephants.

A short drive from Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, I also visited a local work of art, an elephant mural painted on a large rock. The painting had been created by the famous French graffiti artist Youri Cansell (aka Mantra). The mural which was freehanded and took only two days to complete seems strangely out of place in the middle of such a vastly remote area. The mural is a tribute to the herds of elephants that now call Namunyak home after almost becoming extinct in this area during the 1970s

Accommodations at Saruni Lodges

During my trip, I was hosted by Saruni Lodges. Saruni is the only camp in the Conservancy, perched upon a hill.

I was led into the beautiful lounge where I was briefed about the camp and confirmed the activities I wanted to do during my stay. The service and attentiveness from the staff was top-notch. My room was just a short walk from the main lounge area. The walk along the winding path took just a few minutes and had amazing views of the conservancy. Although I had seen photos of the rooms online before my trip, I was blown away by how beautiful the room was.

After settling in, I headed back to the main building for dinner. The staff, all Samburu warriors, served an Italian dinner which was fresh, delicious, and filling. I had the opportunity to chat with them and learn more about their culture and lifestyle.

Getting to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

If you are looking to visit the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, the drive from Nairobi takes about 8 hours. The Sanctuary also has a small airstrip for chartered flights. The best option is to book a tour through a reputable tour agency like King Salama Safaris.

If you are looking to visit the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. The best option is to book a tour through a reputable tour agency like King Salama Safaris.