Reteti, the community-owned and run elephant sanctuary

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

At the mountains of northern Kenya, the Samburu community is doing something that has never been done before. They have built an elephant sanctuary for orphaned elephants. Reteti community-owned elephant sanctuary is special because it is the first indigenous-owned and run elephant sanctuary that rescues and raises orphaned elephants with the aim of reintroducing them back into the wild.

Reteti sanctuary is not just about saving elephants; it’s about breaking down stereotypes and redefining wildlife management. When people realize that they can benefit from healthy elephant populations, they take care of the wildlife with pride.

Reteti women empowerment.

Besides helping the elephants, Reteti is empowering Samburu women to be the first-ever women elephant keepers in all of Africa. The Samburu community didn’t think that there was a place for women in the workplace. The success of these women elephant keepers, is setting a huge example for girls hoping to pursue their dreams and unlocking newer possibilities for them. Reteti is now changing how the community relates to elephants. Schoolchildren who had no prior experience and were afraid of elephants, visit Reteti and have close encounters with elephants. Some of them get the realization that they can grow up to be elephant keepers and veterinarians.

At Reteti, orphaned elephants grow up, learning to be wild so that one day they would rejoin their herds, is more about them as it is for the elephants. The sanctuary has had a huge transformation in the way Samburu people relate to wild animals at large.

Since September 2016, the team at Reteti has rescued over 35 elephants and returned ten back to the wild. This is the result of a widely recognized and expanding grassroots movement of community-driven conservation across northern Kenya; a movement that is growing new economies, transforming lives, and conserving natural resources.

Long’uros Unique Rescue

On 18 April 2020, the Reteti team rescued an abandoned calf that had fallen into a well in Loisaba Conservancy. He was in a desperate state, his cries of despair flooded the night. Upon inspection, the team discovered that two-thirds of his trunk had been lost to the Hyenas while he was stuck at the well.

A team of the Kenya Wildlife Service and Reteti rushed and were able to save the abandoned calf and took him to safety at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. At the time of rescue, he was I month old. Reteti team named him Long’uro which is a Samburu word for something that had been cut.

Upon Long’uros arrival, Mary Lengees took the task of being his mother and stayed by his side, day in and day out, nursing both his emotional and physical wounds. Long’uros fate was undetermined and also referred to as the most unique rescue they have encountered. But as the months proceed he has grown stronger and stronger.

Long’uros Improvement

Over the past months, Long’uro has made significant progress with just a third of his trunk. He has learned to eat seed pods from the ground with his mouth. Recently, he has learned to splash water on himself with his trunk, mimicking the rest of the herd. Long’uro has completely besotted with his favorite keeper, Mary, and gets a little bit jealous when she feeds other elephants in the herd! Mary took care of Long’uro from the very beginning of his stay at Reteti and they truly have the most incredible bond.

The Reteti team refers to Long’uro as the most caring and gentle soul. He is easily distinguishable from the other elephants due to his short trunk and very fluffy body. He is also much hairier than the other elephant calves. Lung’uro is independent in nature and often has his meals solo and he chooses when he would want to interact with other elephants. His very best friend at Reteti is Lomunyak – they arrived at Reteti a month apart and are almost the same age. They are often seen playing and Lomunyak sharing his browse with him. For now, Long’uro is a happy, well-adjusted member of the Reteti Herd