Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

What Reteti Elephant Sanctuary does

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, founded in August 2016 within Namunyak Community Conservancy in Samburu County, Northern Kenya, is the world's first Indigenous community-owned African elephant sanctuary and is operated by The Sarara Foundation, a US 501(c)(3) headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The organization rescues orphaned and abandoned elephant calves (between 10 and 25 per year in Northern Kenya) orphaned by drought, man-made wells, human-wildlife conflict, and natural mortality, and rehabilitates them with the explicit objective of rewilding. All keepers are recruited from the local Samburu community within the conservancy and are formally trained in calf care, rehabilitation, and release protocols; the sanctuary also employs female keepers and 12 Samburu Morans as Elephant Guardians monitoring released herds. The organization maintains 33 elephants in care, has completed four release cohorts including a June 2024 release of 13 elephants, and is constructing a second sanctuary ahead of a planned 2028 release of 10 orphans.

The underlying technology stack combines conservation science methodology with wildlife monitoring infrastructure. Proprietary practices include a graduated Elephant Rewilding Protocol (weaning at age 6-7, weaning boma, soft release, and GPS collar fitting), a 5-point Body Condition Scoring system, Focal Follow Observation tracking aggressive and affiliative interactions, and faecal sample analysis. Post-release monitoring integrates Save The Elephants-supplied GPS collars with the EarthRanger platform, layering ground patrols, aerial surveillance, and direct keeper observation to track movement, habitat use, health, and social integration.

Reteti's revenue model blends subscription adoption giving (starting at $5/month per elephant via Stripe and Funraise), tiered one-time donations ($12 per milk bottle, $30 per blanket set, $96 for one day's milk, $145 for one day's care, $690 for one week of veterinary care), visitor donations ($75 international adult, Ksh 1,000-2,000 Kenyan resident), e-commerce merchandise through shop.reteti.org, and scope-based film and photography licensing. Distribution combines pre-booked in-person sanctuary tours across four daily feeding slots, self-serve digital adoption and donation funnels, and B2B film licensing requiring Kenya Department of Film Services approval. Customer segments span global individual conservation supporters, eco-tourists, local Kenyan schools and communities, and corporate conservation partners, with content marketing, documentary films, and World Elephant Day campaigns as primary acquisition channels.

Name

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

Legal name

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

Website

https://reteti.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is a nonprofit, community-owned elephant rehabilitation and rewilding operation in Northern Kenya that rescues orphaned calves, employs over 100 Samburu keepers, and serves global donors, eco-tourists, and conservation partners through adoptions, donations, and visitor experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Animal Production (11521), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release Centers (Public Viewing/Education) (THAAAFAC), Rescue, Transport & Emergency Animal Response (BPAGAIAB), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Elephant rehabilitation programs
• Community-based conservation
• Wildlife rescue operations
• Conservation nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Namunyak Community Conservancy, Samburu County

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Adoptions: Monthly adoption program starting at $5/month per elephant. One-time and recurring donations for milk bottles, blankets, daily care, and general operations. This is the primary revenue stream supporting the sanctuary's operations.
2. Visitor Donations: Visitors make minimum donations to visit the sanctuary: $75 per international visitor, $50 per child under 15; Ksh 2,000 per Kenyan resident, Ksh 1,000 per Kenyan citizen. Private viewings available for groups.
3. E-commerce Sales: Online shop selling Reteti Keeper T-shirts, hats, plushies, and tote bags. Items ship from Nanyuki office and Printful fulfillment centers.
4. Film and Photography Licensing: Fees for commercial filming and photography projects. Commercial projects have scope-based fees; small non-commercial projects (students, documentaries) have specific guidelines and fees. Payments received prior to shoots.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary rescues orphaned and abandoned elephant calves in Northern Kenya and rehabilitates them with the goal of rewilding them back into the wild landscape adjoining the sanctuary. Operating as the first Indigenous community-owned elephant sanctuary in Africa, all elephant keepers are recruited from the local Samburu community within Namunyak Community Conservancy. The organization funds its operations through elephant adoption subscriptions, milk bottle and daily care donations, visitor minimum-donation tours, branded merchandise, and licensed film/photography access.

Product overview

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary operates as a community-owned wildlife conservation organization offering a suite of interconnected programs focused on elephant rescue, rehabilitation, and rewilding. The core product portfolio includes the Elephant Adoption Program for donor support, the Milk Donation Program feeding orphaned calves, and Sanctuary Visitor Tours providing immersive conservation experiences. Supporting services include the recently opened Reteti Visitor Centre (November 2024) offering interactive exhibits, an Online Shop for merchandise, Release Herd Monitoring using GPS collars and EarthRanger, and Elephant Rescue Operations responding to 10-25 orphaned calves annually. The sanctuary also offers Film and Photography Services for approved productions and publishes newsletters for donor engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elephant Adoption Program Monthly subscription adoption program allowing global supporters to sponsor an orphaned elephant for $5 or more per month, receiving quarterly newsletters, photo albums, and post-release tracking updates. Adoption payments are processed via Stripe.
• Milk Donation Program Tiered donation program providing specially formulated milk to rescued elephant orphans at $12 per bottle, $96 for one day's milk per elephant, or $288 for three days' milk, with proceeds also supporting the Milk to Market initiative that benefits Samburu women goat milk suppliers.
• Sanctuary Visitor Tours Guided pre-booked visitor experiences at the sanctuary paired with a dedicated keeper who shares knowledge of conservation work. Four daily feeding slots (Sunrise 5:30-7am, Morning 8:30-10am, Midday 11:30am-1pm, Evening 5:30-7pm) with viewing platform access for elephant bottle feeding.
• Elephant Rescue Operations Rescue service for orphaned and abandoned elephant calves in Northern Kenya, responding to drought, man-made wells, human-wildlife conflict, and natural mortality. Conducts 10-25 rescues per year with support from Kenya Wildlife Service and Samburu County Government.
• Release Herd Monitoring Post-release monitoring service for rewilded elephants using GPS collars (supplied by Save The Elephants) and the EarthRanger integrated monitoring platform. Combines collar tracking, ground-based vehicle patrols, aerial surveillance, and direct field observations, with 12 Samburu Elephant Guardians monitoring movements in Namunyak Conservancy.
• Reteti Online Shop E-commerce store selling Reteti-branded merchandise including keeper T-shirts, hats, plushies, and tote bags, with global shipping from the Nanyuki office and Printful fulfillment centers (7-14 working day delivery).
• Film and Photography Services Licensed access for commercial and non-commercial filming and photography projects at the sanctuary. Requires prior application approval, contract, fee payment, and a Kenya Department of Film Services license obtained via a local registered production service provider; scope-based fees for commercial projects and specific guidelines for student/nonprofit projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 orphaned elephants successfully rewilded and thriving in June 2024 release
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MASS Design GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2024Architecture firm that designed the Reteti Visitor Centre over four years of planning. Inspired by traditional Samburu bomas with natural materials. Created the open-air exhibition space celebrating community-led conservation.
• Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment wildlife regulatory body providing authorization and oversight for elephant rescue operations. KWS Rangers participate in rescue operations and collaborate on wildlife conservation initiatives. Co-response with Reteti for elephant calf rescues across Northern Kenya.
• Samburu County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal county government providing support and collaboration for the community-owned sanctuary. Works with Reteti on conservation initiatives and community development within Namunyak Conservancy.
• Namunyak Community ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity conservancy home to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. All sanctuary operations occur within this conservancy, with Samburu community members as primary stakeholders and keepers. The conservancy provides the landscape for elephant releases and rewilding.
• The Sarara FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 82-2386824) that operates Reteti Elephant Sanctuary on behalf of Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust. Provides organizational infrastructure, funding support, and program management including the Milk to Market initiative. Headquarters in Denver, CO.
• Save The ElephantscoreTechnology or IntegrationResearch partner providing GPS collars with tracking technology for release herd monitoring. Collaboration on elephant tracking research and conservation science. Provides collars and technical expertise for post-release monitoring using EarthRanger platform.
• Sera Rhino ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtected wildlife conservancy that served as release site for 2019-2020 release herd. Provided safe environment for orphans to rebuild independence before relocation to wider migratory routes. Collaborated on relocation operation with Reteti, Save The Elephants, and KWS.
• Lewa Wildlife ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Reteti, Save The Elephants, and KWS on the extraordinary relocation of the 2019-2020 release herd beyond Sera Rhino Sanctuary to access wider migratory routes and northern wilderness.
• Global FICCS (Global Foundation for International Cardiac and Community Services)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit providing healthcare education and first aid training to Reteti keepers and foundation staff. Trained team on CPR, AED usage, and tourniquets. Donated medical equipment including AED, oximeter, portable ultrasound, and supplies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: The best-known elephant orphan rescue and rehabilitation operation in Kenya, also focused on rescuing, hand-rearing, and reintegrating orphaned elephants back into wild populations. Operates the Ithumba and Voi reintegration stockades in Tsavo and runs a globally recognized foster-parent adoption program similar to Reteti's, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Elephant Nature Park: Thai elephant sanctuary operating rescue, herd-based care, and a fee-for-visit tourist program. While geography differs, it competes with Reteti for global elephant-conscious traveler attention and visitor-supported elephant-care revenue.
• Giraffe Centre (African Fund for Endangered Wildlife): Long-running Kenyan wildlife conservation organization operating a visitor-focused center in Nairobi with education programs, species rehabilitation, and donor-supported conservation. Mirrors Reteti's blend of paid visitor experience, education mission, and targeted species protection.
• The Elephant Sanctuary (Tennessee): US-based nonprofit sanctuary providing captive elephant care with a large-scale adoption/membership program. While focused on refuge rather than rewilding, its reliance on individual donor adoption subscriptions and merchandise revenue maps directly onto Reteti's funding model.

Regional players

• Lewa Wildlife Conservancy: Long-standing Northern Kenya conservancy that Reteti partners with for elephant relocations. Operates a comparable sanctuary-and-conservancy model with structured wildlife releases, international visitor programs, and major-donor fundraising, including a flagship US office structure similar to Reteti's Sarara Foundation.
• Big Life Foundation: Kenya-Tanzania transboundary conservation NGO operating community ranger programs and predator and elephant protection alongside community conservancies. Comparable footprint, donor base, and intertwined community-conservation mission in Northern Kenya/Tanzania.
• Borana Conservancy: Community-owned conservancy in the Lewa-Borana landscape neighboring Namunyak, sharing the Northern Kenyan community conservancy model, high-end tourism model, and rhino/elephant rewilding focus. Operationally and geographically adjacent to Reteti.
• Ol Pejeta Conservancy: Large Kenyan community-and-private conservancy hosting rewilded and refuge wildlife including rescued chimpanzees and rhinos. Comparable in operating geography (Northern Kenya conservancy model), visitor-fee revenue model, and reliance on partnered international donors.

Broad incumbents

• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Large global zoological and conservation organization running wildlife reserves, managed introductions, and field conservation programs across multiple species and geographies. Comparable through managed-care-plus-rewilding programs, donor adoption, and an international visitor site at the Safari Park.
• Save the Elephants: Research-driven conservation NGO that supplies Reteti's GPS collars and EarthRanger integration. Operates across broader elephant range states with scientific monitoring, anti-poaching, and policy advocacy, partially overlapping Reteti's post-release monitoring activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reteti-elephant-sancatuary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reteti Elephant Sanctuary