Adopt Kimani
Adopt Kimani for yourself or as a gift for a loved one.
For a monthly donation of $5 or more, you will become a foster parent to Kimani – supporting the keepers in caring for him while he’s on his journey back to the wild.
Your monthly donation gets you exclusive access to Kimani’s private album and stories, frequent photo, video, text, and email updates from his keepers, and will also get you automatic membership to The Herd – our global community of monthly supporters!
Adopting Kimani will contribute to…
-
Feeding Reteti’s orphaned wildlife
with nourishing milk from the Milk to Market Program -
The Keepers
and their 24/7 expert care and endless love for the orphans -
Veterinary care
ensuring the orphans are healthy and strong from rescue to release -
Kimani’s release
and his journey back to the wild in Northern Kenya
Meet Kimani
Gender: Male
Age When Rescued: 3 days old
Rescue Date: 12 February 2025
Rescue Location: Kalepo Conservancy
Reason Orphaned: Fell into a well
Kimani’s Rescue Story
It was a quiet February morning when Dr. Joseph Lolngojine, Reteti’s veterinarian, received the urgent call that a little elephant calf had fallen into a well in a remote area near Kalepo, and that the poor baby was in deep distress.
Upon hearing the news, a plan immediately fell into place, and a team was dispatched to come to the calf’s rescue. On their arrival, they found that the baby had been trapped for hours – and was tired, frightened, but miraculously unharmed. Working carefully and gently, they lifted him out of the well and assessed his condition, and thankfully determined that he was stable.
The immediate hope was to reunite the calf with his mother, so the team set to work to locate her and his herd. But despite extensive tracking efforts and multiple attempts, no signs of his family were found. It was then that the heartbreaking reality started setting in: the baby had been orphaned.
Named Kimani – after one of the striking mountain peaks near the site of his rescue – this courageous little calf’s story is rooted in the land that first cradled him, and as the team transported him safely to Reteti, he carried it forward into the next chapter of his life.
When he arrived at our doorstep soon after, our hearts melted as we welcomed him with open arms – and everyone marveled at this little one’s brave little spirit, right from the start…
It’s so heartwarming to see these females regularly checking in on Kimani, as it once again affirms the incredible social intelligence and nurturing nature of elephants. What’s more, we are happy to report that these are clear signs that Kimani is already forming strong emotional bonds within the herd!
Kimani may be small, but he carries such a quiet strength. And as a striking little bull with unusually large ears that flap with every step, his pale-toned hide truly sets him apart! We also love that he has a slightly twisted little trunk, which often curls up when he’s curious or just oh-so content with ellie-life.
His personality is still blossoming as he’s discovering the world and carving out a path for himself (on his own terms!), but we’re already noticing a distinct calmness in his gaze – and the most amazing gentleness in the way he moves among others.
Every day, as Kimani takes slow, steady steps on his journey of rehabilitation, he is surrounded by his new elephant family and wrapped in the love and care of Reteti’s dedicated keepers. It’s clear that this little calf from Mount Kimani is not just surviving – he is thriving.
Kimani Today
Since arriving at Reteti, Kimani has gone from strength to strength – and we love watching him develop as he’s such a fast learner. Despite being so young, Kimani responds immediately when a keeper calls out his name, and when it’s feeding time, he’s so focussed on his milk bottles that not a single drop goes to waste!
Kimani also adores taking some time out during the day for little naps in-between all the fun at the sanctuary, and you’ll often see him scouting around for soft patches of grass in the bush to lie down. However, that means he’s still full of beans by the time the sun sets, so at nighttime, he sometimes struggles to settle down!
As one of the youngest elephant orphans here at Reteti, Kimani has drawn particular attention from some of the older female calves – especially Sera, Naisiriria, Nosaeen and Kalepo. Sera, in particular, has shown strong maternal behaviours toward Kimani, and she even tries to breastfeed him! Indicating a deep and intuitive bond between the two, it also highlights her strongly developed protective instinct.
Kimani & Siilai
One of the most delightful developments in Kimani’s journey is the special friendship he forged with Siilai – the little buffalo orphan who arrived at the sanctuary at the same time as him. Like two peas in a pod, they were almost inseparable.
Siilai has since been released back into the wild. But you can still read more about their heartwarming friendship…
What is included in your adoption?
A digital, sharable Adoption Certificate - making your foster parent-hood official! (Emailed to you or your gift recipient after the purchase!)
Regularly updated, exclusive online album with photos, behind the scenes stories, and videos of Kimani
Regular email and video updates about your elephant (SMS updates too for those of you in the USA!)
Automatic membership to "The Herd" - our monthly donor club that gets you invites to our livestreams, updates from the Reteti team, and more!
PLEASE NOTE
We are a US-based 5013C and therefore your monthly donation is 100% tax deductible for customers in the USA. Additionally, multiple adoptions of individual orphans enable us to cover the costs of caring for all the orphans at Reteti. Your contribution will help us cover the cost of milk, the keepers, veterinary cost and other essentials your your orphan needs.
Your monthly donation will support the rehabilitation and care of Kimani on his journey back to the wild.