Animal Welfare Kenya Project #65414

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

by The Sarara Institute

Project Report | May 6, 2025
From Rescue to Rewilding: A New Chapter at Reteti

By The Sarara Foundation | Reteti Elephant Sanctuary | Chief Growth Officer - Courtney Boyd Myers

Reteti

This year’s Reteti Elephant Sanctuary Annual Report is more than just an update — it’s a powerful celebration of community-led conservation in action.

In contrast to the last GlobalGiving cycle, which focused on the landmark release of 13 elephant orphans into the wild, this new report takes us further: into the hearts of Samburu communities, across rangelands restored by local hands, and even inside a brand-new Visitor Centre that blends traditional Samburu design with immersive conservation storytelling.

Dive into the full story!— where compassion meets conservation to protect the wild heart of Northern Kenya.
Read the 2024 Reteti Annual Report

What’s New and Noteworthy:

Expanded Impact: Beyond elephants, Reteti welcomed and rewilded zebras, ostriches, and a baby giraffe — Leitemu — lovingly raised on camel milk. Read about ostrich rescue here. We are in the process of setting up an adoption program for giraffes, but for now adopt an elephant here!
Women-Led Economy: The Milk to Market Program now supports 1,280 Milk Mamas, generating nearly $400,000 USD for Samburu women in 2024 alone.
Presidential Recognition: Kenya’s President Ruto paid a historic visit, underscoring national pride in this Indigenous-led conservation model.
Sera’s Story: A rescued calf turned compassionate leader, Sera represents Reteti’s mission in action — a living symbol of hope. Listen to Katie Rowe, Founder and Director describe the rescue here.
New Infrastructure: With a 100,000-litre underground water tank, a release boma, a new vehicle fleet, and solar-powered milk tech on the horizon, Reteti is scaling up to meet the future head-on.

Fun Fact: During the construction of the new Visitor Centre — whose floors are made with elephant dung! — curious elephants from Reteti wandered by to inspect the work. Coexistence, quite literally, in action.

Dive into the full story!— where compassion meets conservation to protect the wild heart of Northern Kenya.
Read the 2024 Reteti Annual Report

Reteti

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Feb 6, 2025
Ashe Oleng from Reteti Elephant Sanctuary!

By Amaya and The Sarara Team | Project Leader

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