The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is one of the more reasonably priced tourist hotspots in Nairobi with an entry rate of around 5 Euros. The information about the work that the trust does is impressive and interesting and the surroundings are charming. At the center of attention are the orphaned elephant young which will be fed in front of you. It may sound like a terribly touristy thing to do, but on the occasion where I was there, not a single audience member did not feel rewarded in seeing these animals up close. The grounds overlook the national park and the view is stunning.

The Elephant orphanage at the Sheldrick center is truly amazing. You get to see ( up close) and learn all about each baby elephant. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable. I went expecting to see cute baby animals, and I left with a new-found appreciation for a magnificent species. It is only open form 11am to Noon so make sure you plan accordingly. Don't miss this, and be sure to bring your camera!

I visited here in August and loved seeing the baby elephants get their noon milk feeding. The talk is informative and they explain the tragic effects of poaching and give you a short history on each of the babies at the Nursery at the time. When one pulls your heart strings, you are able to foster the baby for a mere $50 US annually (minimum). I fostered a baby and was able to reserve a spot for an evening visit before my flight home 20 days later. Seeing the babies come in from their day out foraging and being fed and put to bed was amazing.

Noon visits are only one hour in length and the night-time visits are limited to 30 people and are from 5-6pm. This is not nearly enough time to watch these delightful animals, but when you are trying to eventually reintigrate animals back into the wild, I can understand wanting to limit time with large groups of people.

The entrance fee was very reasonable. (1000 Kenyan shillings, about $11 U.S. or Canadian)

The best part of this organization is not only seeing the babies (a must do if you are in Nairobi!) but all of the other work they do as well. Their rehabilitation program gets these eles back into the wild. Their vet units and anti-snare teams are working to help injured adults in the wild and the anit-poaching teams are out trying to destroy platforms used by poachers.

Since coming home, I have spent countless hours on their website, reading about their efforts and the babies at the nursery. They send me a montly newsletter as well. I am now fostering 5 babies and have 2 more that I want to add to my list. I really hope one day I can make it back there again.

Terrific! Well worth a visit. A bit sad to see a huge rhino in too small an enclosure, elephants seemed happy and well cared for. Entrance fee very reasonable.