For a minimum donation of $5/month or $60/year, you will become a foster parent to Milgis – supporting her care at Reteti and journey back to the wild.

Looking for other ways to give?

Adopt Milgis

Adopt Milgis for yourself or as a gift for a loved one.

Your donation gets you exclusive access to Milgis’s private album and stories, frequent photo, video, text, and email updates from her keepers, and will also get you automatic membership to The Herd – our global community of monthly supporters!

Adopting Milgis will contribute to…

  • Line drawing of a person with a milk churn and a milk bottle.

    Feeding Reteti’s orphaned wildlife
    with nourishing milk from the Milk to Market Program

  • Line drawing of two medical workers.

    The Keepers
    and their 24/7 expert care and endless love for the orphans

  • Line drawing of two hands holding a medical cross inside a circle, representing healthcare or medical services.

    Veterinary care
    ensuring the orphans are healthy and strong from rescue to release

  • Outline drawing of an elephant standing beside a large tree with a broad canopy and visible branches.

    Milgis’s release
    and her journey back to the wild in Northern Kenya

An elephant standing in dry grass and bushes in a natural habitat.

Meet Milgis

Gender: Female

Age When Rescued: 4 Months old

Rescue Date: 6 June 2022

Rescue Location: Milgis Lugga

Reason Orphaned: Well (drought)

Milgis’s Rescue Story

Milgis arrived at Reteti on the 6th June 2022. She fell into a well whilst trying to drink with her herd and was found by local Samburu pastoralists. The ongoing drought has caused the water table to drop, making the wells dangerously deep for young calves like her. Following our tradition of naming a calf after the place of rescue, Milgis was named after the mighty Milgis lugga*. She is named appropriately as her beaming character is strong and full of life.

*A lugga is the word for a dry riverbed; where elephants and Samburu dig wells for water.

Milgis arrived by helicopter; rather stylish and chic! A true introvert at heart, Milgis prefers the company of her friend Naisimari, displaying a charming character that thrives with just a few close companions. Her unique personality adds a special touch to the dynamics of the herd.

Milgis Today

It’s amazing to already report that we can see Milgis is a matriarch in the making! Her friendliness and natural ability to lead are such joys to behold.

Her mothering nature keeps shining through and she’s always with the other calves whenever they feed. The same goes for “bath time” and it gives her a great thrill to lead the little babies to the mudhole, where she not only helps them to get in and make the most of splashing about – but also likes to do some proper wallowing herself!

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 purchase)

  • A regularly updated, exclusive online album with photos, behind-the-scenes stories, and videos of your elephant

  • Regular email and video updates about your elephant (SMS updates too, for those in the US!) 

  • 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 501(c)(3) and therefore your monthly donation is 100% tax deductible for customers in the US. 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, keepers, veterinary cost, and other essentials your orphan needs.

Your donation will support the rehabilitation and care of Milgis on her journey back to the wild.

Adopt Milgis