For a minimum donation of $5/month or $60/year, you will become a foster parent to Samburu – supporting the keepers in caring for her while she’s on her journey back to the wild.
Adopt Samburu
Adopt Samburu for yourself or as a gift for a loved one.
Your donation gets you exclusive access to Samburu’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 Samburu will contribute to…
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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 -
Samburu’s release
and her journey back to the wild in Northern Kenya
Meet Samburu
Gender: Female
Age When Rescued: 4 months
Rescue Date: 14 February 2026
Rescue Location: Samburu National Reserve
Reason Orphaned: Separated from herd
Samburu’s Rescue Story
On February 14, 2026, the Reteti Mobile Vet Unit (MVU) received an emergency rescue call from Save the Elephants regarding a young elephant calf that had been separated from her mother in the Samburu National Reserve. The Reteti MVU monitored her for three days, but despite everyone's hopes, a reunion with her herd was not possible.
Reteti MVU attempted a rescue three times, but other wild elephant herds kept moving in to surround her, making it impossible to get close safely. By the time the coast was clear, the sun had set and the Reteti MVU knew that leaving her out there alone meant the lions or cheetahs lurking in the reserve would kill her before morning. The team split into two groups and trekked for kilometers through the bush with nothing but flashlights in the midst of lions and cheetahs to look for her, eventually locating her in the thickets.
After a successful night rescue, Samburu was brought to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. She presented with a poor body condition, sunken eyes, and a painful corneal opacity in her right eye. Beyond her physical wounds, her transition was a battle of patience as she was aggressive toward her keepers and refused the milk bottle. Through consistent medical intervention – including daily antibiotic eye ointment and specialized nursery care – the Reteti MVU and keepers nurtured her back to life.
Samburu Today
Today Samburu shows a strong passion for bottle feeding, often assertively taking her bottle and even pushing away other elephants and keepers to secure a second one. This behavior can sometimes make her a bit noisy and demanding during feeding times!
Samburu is developing well alongside another calf, Matunda. While Samburu enjoys grazing on her own, Matunda consistently looks out for her, ensuring she stays safe and supported.
We are pleased to report that Samburu's body condition has improved significantly, now at a score of 3.5, up from a score of 2 at the time of her rescue. This marks a positive step in her recovery and overall health.
Samburu has grown into a strong, feisty elephant who is thriving with her new family. She is a living reminder of the resilience of elephants and why our Reteti MVU is so essential. We are so grateful for your support as we continue to care for Samburu and her herd!
What is included in your adoption?
A digital, sharable Adoption Certificate – making your foster parenthood 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 costs, and other essentials your orphan needs.
Your donation will support the rehabilitation and care of Samburu on her journey back to the wild.