@natgeo

Photos by @amivitale | In northern Kenya, an elephant sanctuary turned a pandemic challenge into a win—for the calves, the community, and the land. I am honored to share this beautiful story from Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e). For years, baby elephants lived off powdered milk formula, the same used for infant humans. But when global supply chains were severely disrupted by the pandemic, the sanctuary had to find a more dependable source of food for its calves, which had been either orphaned or abandoned. Fortunately, the answer was right in its backyard. The sanctuary experimented using local goat’s milk instead of the expensive formula shipped from far away. After studying the human formula and conducting extensive research, the new goat’s-milk formula was put to the test and fed to the baby elephants. Reteti’s keepers quickly noticed that the animals were getting healthier. The new formula has also brought about a shift in the relationship between the community members and the calves. Using locally sourced goat’s milk was not only more nutritious for the elephants but also more sustainable for the planet. And it’s empowering the women in the community who are benefitting from a new source of income. Read more about this in my Nat Geo story “For Kenya’s orphaned elephants, goats to the rescue,” and follow @amivitale and @r.e.s.c.u.e to learn more, including how to help. @sararafoundation @kenyawildlifeservice #babyanimals #elephants #kenya #conservation