Nairobi: Sheldrick Elephant and Rhino Orphanage

There isn’t much out there that’s cuter than a baby elephant - except a whole bunch of baby elephants!  If that sounds like your idea of a good time, a visit to the Sheldrick Elephant and Rhino Orphanage is in order.  Home to 23 baby elephants who lost their mothers when they were still dependent upon milk (and 1 rhino who is 12 years old, congenitally blind and too easily spooked to be visited by tourists), the center opens daily from 11am to noon, and packs a whole bunch of adorable into that single hour.

While some babies lose their mothers to drought or illness, usually they are the victims of human-wildlife interactions (often poaching). 

For 500 Kenyan shillings, visitors are treated to 2 batches of feedings (the 0-1 year olds and the 2-3 year olds) as well as their antics as they play with dust, mud and each other.  Visitors who opt to “adopt” an elephant for $50 are able to return on another day in a small group and see the baby elephant bedtime ritual.  If you have the time and the budget, I’m sure it is equally enchanting.

If you go: the center is extremely popular, especially on weekends.  While it opens at 11am, it is worth getting there a little early to secure yourself a front-row spot so you can see (and even pat) the elephants.  Those in rows further back have less of a view.