The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust USA
Born from one family’s passion for Kenya and its wilderness, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was established 49 years ago and is best known for its Orphans' Project, the first and most successful elephant orphan rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a pioneering conservation organisation, dedicated to the protection of wildlife and the preservation of habitats in East Africa.
Financials
Programs
Orphans Project
At the heart of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's conservation activities is the Orphans’ Project, which has achieved world-wide acclaim through its hugely successful elephant and rhino rescue and rehabilitation program.
Saving Habitats
With the support of local partners including the Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service, we are working to secure Kenya’s unique and endangered wild habitats. Measures include erecting and maintaining fencelines (Wild Borders) to secure wildlife areas and reduce human-wildlife conflict and providing financial support to empower community-led initiatives that protect and preserve areas of biodiversity.
Aerial Surveillance
Our Aerial Unit patrols daily to monitor wildlife and deter illegal activity, while offering rapid response assistance to anti-poaching activities, incidents of human-wildlife conflict and veterinary operations in the Tsavo Conservation Area and Lamu District.
Anti-Poaching & Canine Unit
We currently operate 29 Anti-Poaching Teams in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), plus our specialist Canine Unit. In addition, we fund a team operated by Mara Elephant Project (MEP) in the Mau Forest, and another team operated by the Mount Kenya Trust. All of these units are tasked with undertaking anti-poaching operations to protect threatened wildlife and habitats in areas of natural importance within Kenya.
Community Outeach
We collaborate with local communities to identify their greatest needs and determine how we can best support them. We proudly recruit Kenyans from all tribes for our field-based roles, fostering conservation ambassadors across the country. As we nurture today’s talent, we also cultivate the next generation of conservationists through our school support programs.
Mobile Vet
We operate seven fully equipped Mobile Veterinary Units and a rapid response Sky Vet initiative headed by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) vets to alleviate the suffering of injured wild animals across Kenya.
We respond to all manner of wildlife emergencies from snares, spears, arrow and gunshot wounds, to injuries caused through human-wildlife conflict. Working in diverse habitats, our patients include injured and distressed elephants, rhinos, giraffe, zebra, lions and countless other species.
