Holiday Gift Ideas | Foster an Elephant

Fostering a majestic young elephant orphan through the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is one of our favorite gifts of the season. This gift is particularly enriching and meaningful as you can continue to support your elephant for years to come. It is also a lovely way to inspire and engage children as they can study the progress of and grow up alongside their elephant orphan.

Foster parents at the DSWT receive photo updates of their adopted elephant and monthly progress updates via email. Additionally, foster parents can expect a certificate, information on the Orphans' Project, an interactive map indicating where your orphan was found and a description of the habitat in that area, a collectable monthly watercolor by Angela Sheldrick and occasional news from Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick.

A truly exciting bonus of becoming an foster parent is the exclusive opportunity to privately visit the orphan elephants should you visit Kenya. Daily orphanage visits are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the public, but foster parents have the chance to make a private visit at bedtime – think sleepy baby elephants tucking in with their security blankets.

How to Foster an Elephant

• Choose the orphan you would like to support from the drop down list on the DSWT website here.
• Once you have selected the orphan's name from the list, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "Foster Now".

Even More Ways to Help the DSWT and Elephants

• There are many opportunities beyond fostering to support the DSWT and the Orphan’s Project this holiday season. You can donate more tangible items like security blankets for the elephant orphans, a holiday meal for the staff and more. Click here to learn more.
• We also love the DSWT’s recent collaboration with JCrew, and a percentage of every sale of these products go back to the fund as well.
• If you want elephant travel inspiration, see this incredible safari experience which we created in partnership with the Bhodi Tree foundation, S.A.F.E. and &Beyond.
• See our eight favorite hotels for elephant interaction and observation.

Looking for more gift idea inspiration? View our list of Best Travel Gifts.