This Mother’s Day, help feed an elephant

Spoil the Reteti Elephants with what they love most (milk!) while contributing to a thriving Indigenous Community by supporting the Samburu Milk Mamas.

Here's what it takes to feed a baby elephant

  • $12

    1 Bottle of Milk
    2 litres of nutritious milk

  • $96

    8 Milk Bottles
    1 day’s milk for 1 elephant

  • $672

    56 Milk Bottles
    1 week’s milk for 1 elephant

  • $2,880

    240 Milk Bottles
    1 month’s milk for 1 elephant

The ripple effect of a bottle of milk

With every bottle of goat milk, the elephants at Reteti receive superior nutrition to help them one day return to the wild. At the same time, the Samburu Milk Mamas who supply the milk earn an income for the first time in their lives – supporting an Indigenous Community, their vital conservation efforts, and their thriving landscape.

But the chain of positive change doesn’t end there!

The Mamas also receive training from The Sarara Foundation in animal husbandry, rangeland management, grazing practices, and more. This enables them to take better care of their livestock to increase milk production and avoid overgrazing.

One bottle of milk doesn’t just boost the wellbeing of the community; it heals the land itself – the very landscape to which the elephants will ultimately return when they’re released back into the wild.

Follow the daily milk journey from our Milk Mamas to Reteti below

  • 06:00

    At daybreak, a new milk journey begins by milking the goats. The milk that’s not needed for household use is brought to the milk market.

  • 08:00

    The milk market opens! We collect milk from more than 1,200 Mamas across the conservancy with the help of a team of motorcycle riders.

  • 09:30

    Upon arrival at Reteti, the milk goes into our solar-powered pasteurisers; and then to our milk kitchen where the bottles are prepared.

  • 11:45

    Bottled and ready for the noon feed. Our (t)rusty wheelbarrow helps transport our milk bottles to the boma.

  • 12:00

    Glug, glug, glug! Each elephant drinks a 2-litre bottle every three hours. The milk that was delivered will be used in the bottles of the next 8 feeds.

  • Impact

    Mamas are earning an income for the first time, allowing them to save, send their kids to school and support their families.

The History of the Milk to Market Program

Travel restrictions during lockdown meant that Reteti could no longer import powdered milk for the fragile elephant orphans. This led to The Sarara Foundation starting the groundbreaking milk program that economically empowers Samburu women, while helping Reteti’s elephants get a more sustainable, cost-effective supply of milk.

Most of the Samburu families have excess goat milk after tending to their family and livestock needs. The Milk Mamas sell their excess milk to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, providing a sustainable supply of unique and superior milk formula which uses goat’s milk as the base.

The income earned by the women greatly improves livelihoods and leads to a thriving Indigenous Community.

Your contribution will support the rehabilitation and care of rescued elephants at Reteti and help ensure a brighter future for the local Samburu.