Baby Elephants Thrive on Goat’s Milk in Kenya

In Samburu County, elephant calves rush across a dusty enclosure to take a gulp of milk, exposing their budding tusks as they open their mouths to take in feeding bottles.

The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, in the semi-arid scrublands of northern Kenya, is piloting goat milk for its small herd, as a potential healthier and cheaper replacement nourishment than human baby formula.

It is a solution that also puts money back into the pockets of the local community.

The sanctuary has been using costly powdered baby milk, but the facility’s nutritionist told Reuters they have started using goat milk-based formula as a potential replacement, especially for infant calves like 6-week-old Nkoberlengi, who they recently rescued.

The sanctuary was founded in 2016 and helps to rescue orphaned and abandoned elephant calves.

(Reuters)