When six Somali ostrich chicks arrived at Reteti’s doorstep early last year, we instantly fell in love with their little legs and curious eyes darting about as they watched every move at the sanctuary! And like all parents, we were taken by surprise when they grew up in the blink of an eye. Before we knew it, they were ready to move on to their next chapter – a custom-built boma, just for them, and new life on the other side of the Sarara Valley.

We’re thrilled to have had the President of Kenya, His Excellency Dr. William Ruto officially open the Reteti Visitor Centre this month, as part of the 2024 Maa Cultural Week Festival!

While it may seem as if these young giraffes are fighting, it’s actually just hi-jinks and horseplay! Having said that, they are getting in some good practice for later in life, when the stakes will be higher and they’ll have to spar for dominance.  

Ever wondered why there are wooden poles between the keepers and the baby elephants during feeding time at Reteti? This blog will tell (and show) you the answer!

Her passion for nature comes to life in each of her paintings – and it’s no wonder that Karen is at her happiest when she’s immersed in wild open spaces!

We caught up with this celebrated artist to learn more about her lifelong devotion to Africa’s wildlife and wilderness – and her passion for painting elephants and other endangered species.

It's been three months since we said goodbye to our release herd. It was such an incredible milestone and we couldn't be more proud. But there’s a part of this story that we haven’t shared much about – the emotional impact of letting go.

While keeping a respectful distance and celebrating their freedom to get on with life in the wild, we’re continuously monitoring the release herd. From community-based observation to tech-supported strategies, we keep an eye on them – day and night! Read more about it in our blog.

Construction of our Visitor Centre is well underway and we couldn’t be more excited to watch it take shape! Take a sneak peek at the progress!

When Leitemu was rescued at just five days old, still with his umbilical cord attached, he was calm and trusting, as if he knew we were there to help.

Donations to the Milk to Market program are about so much more than feeding elephant orphans! Every bottle of milk Reteti receives provides the elephant orphans with superior nutrition – AND helps Namunyak’s indigenous community, wilderness, and other wildlife to thrive!

Here at Reteti, we feel like celebrating World Elephant Day all the time! And since this year’s theme honours their critical role in healthy ecosystems, they deserve a tribute every day!

After days without cellphone signal, one of our dedicated Elephant Guardians shared a video of the release herd enjoying their new life in the wild. Watch the video clip in the blog!

Born and rescued from this ancient landscape – which is as much part of them as they are of it – our release herd was not only being rewilded; they returned home! Tears filled our eyes as we said our goodbyes, but we could also not be more proud. Read all about it here.

It seems like only yesterday that the release herd spent their last day at Reteti – but also like a lifetime ago when we witnessed the start of their final steps into the wild! We still get goosebumps remembering the highlights of the past week – if you missed anything, catch up on all the excitement in our blog!

The release boma will serve as their temporary wilderness retreat for the next few nights. Unlike their previous, more controlled environment at Reteti, this release boma is set in an uncleared area abundant with bushes and trees.

We are proud to have recruited 12 morans (Samburu Warriors) to be Reteti’s additional eyes and ears on the ground. As Elephant Guardians, they will support us in monitoring the movements of the release herd in Namunayk Conservancy.

We’d love for you to experience this release in as much detail as possible – so to give you an idea of what’s about to happen, and what you’ll be seeing on our social media profiles in the coming week, here’s how things will unfold.

The process of finding the best possible release site for Reteti's orphaned elephants has been a collaborative and meticulous effort. his blog details how the joint committee evaluated multiple sites and made their final decision.