How Reteti’s fourth release will work: a step by step explanation
The countdown to Reteti’s fourth release of elephant orphans has begun – and there’s an irrepressible spirit of excitement all around Namunyak as we share this milepost filled with gratitude and hope!
An elephant in the release herd browsing.
We wish we could describe the incredible feeling of excitement we’re experiencing here on the ground! There’s a spirit of celebration all around Namunyak! From the sanctuary’s dedicated keepers to the supportive community members throughout this beautiful land – everyone has been part of the journeys that saw these 13 calves rescued and rehabilitated within Namunyak Conservancy. And now, we will all be part of their futures too!
While many emotions may come up when we say goodbye to these beloved elephants when they leave Reteti’s boma, mud baths, and milk bottles for the last time, we’re overjoyed that they’ll still be close to us when they're rewilded.
Because the site is here in Namunyak, there’s no need to translocate the elephants. The release will involve minimal disruptions to their days. In fact, they’ll pretty much continue their lives in the same way as the last few months and weeks, just with a few things that will gradually change. The idea is to allow them to ease into the release and do so in their own time – and it’s such a privilege to witness it happen naturally!
Here’s how things will unfold:
STEP 1
Once the 13 elephants in the rewilding herd leave Reteti's boma early in the morning on the day of their release this week, they'll make their way through the gates of the sanctuary for the last time – with their keepers walking proudly at their sides!
STEP 2
Just like most days in the past few weeks and months, they'll then spend the day foraging and browsing in the release site, but when the day starts drawing to a close, it will be the first time that they won’t return to Reteti.STEP 3
To make the transition as seamless as possible, we've built a special ‘release boma’ right there in the bush for them, where they’ll also receive their last milk bottles from the keepers that evening.STEP 4
You’ll notice that the release process is a beautiful combination of lasts and firsts – and the next morning, they’ll wake up in the release boma for their first full day in the bush! A whole lot of additional exploring and discovery then awaits over the next couple of days – with many opportunities to familiarise themselves with the valley and waterholes as they gradually become accustomed to being in this area all the time.STEP 5
On the third morning, we will open the gates of the release boma for the last time – and the herd will then remain in their natural habitat permanently. However, it will remain up to them if they choose to do so or not, and if they decide to return to the boma for one or more nights, we will welcome them with open arms!
We’ve always known that this will be a ‘self-release’ process – in which the rewilding herd will lead the way.
Everything is in place to allow them to pave their next chapter, and in a beautiful parallel, we too discover new paths alongside them every day!
READER QUESTION
Will the released elephants try to walk back to Reteti?
We recently received this question from one of our keen followers on Facebook. It’s such a great question that we’d love to share the answer with everyone here too!
ANSWER
We can't tell for sure! We do know though that for the past 8 months, the release herd had been compared to teenagers who are about to graduate high school – as they didn’t want to be at home anymore, and preferred to live on their own!
Of course there’s a chance that the group may come by to say hello, but then again – they've been ready to be truly wild for quite some time now! So if we had to guess, we suspect that in the end, they’ll probably prefer the bush to the boma.
Rest assured though that they will be monitored closely and if we notice that something isn’t right, the new 'release boma' in the bush will always be available to them, and they will be able to find refuge there.
Learn more about our fourth release
If you have any questions or want to learn more, you can visit our specially created Release Hub!
