@natgeo

Photo by @amivitale | Mike Learka cools goat's milk after pasteurizing it for elephants. For years, baby elephants lived off powdered formula—the same used for human infants—at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) in northern Kenya. But when global supply chains were severely disrupted by the coronavirus, 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 their backyard. The sanctuary switched to local goat's milk instead of the expensive formula shipped from thousands of miles away. After extensive research, they put it the test and fed the baby elephants the goat’s milk. Reteti's elephant keepers quickly noticed that the young elephants were getting healthier—the goat milk was working better than the powdered formula from tin cans. Today the elephants are thriving. They went from a 50% survival rate of newly arrived young orphans to almost 100% survival rate at this most vulnerable stage. It’s also brought about a shift in the relationship between the community and the calves. Not only is it more nutritious for the elephants, it's also more sustainable for the planet and empowering the women in the community who are benefitting from a new source of income. Follow @amivitale and @r.e.s.c.u.e to learn more including how to help. @sararafoundation @kenyawildlifeservice #babyanimals #elephants #kenya #conservation