World Elephant Day is more than a date on the calendar—it’s a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect one of the planet’s most intelligent, gentle, and awe-inspiring creatures. At Ownia Collection, we are proud to showcase The Safari Collection’s remarkable elephant conservation efforts through their partnership with Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, a pioneering, community-run initiative in northern Kenya.
Deep in the remote Matthews Mountains lies Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, the first community-run elephant sanctuary in Africa. Home to one of Kenya’s largest elephant populations and the ancestral land of the Samburu people, Reteti is transforming the way humans and elephants coexist.
Since opening in 2016, the sanctuary has rescued over 52 orphaned elephants (and even one black rhino calf), with most successfully returned to the wild. Guided by the ethos of “rescue and return”, Reteti’s mobile rapid response team works tirelessly to reunite abandoned babies with their mothers whenever possible.
The sanctuary has created sustainable jobs, including Africa’s first female elephant keepers. Women like Sasha Dorothy Lowuekuduk, Reteti’s head keeper, are breaking barriers, showing that conservation is not only about protecting wildlife—it’s also about empowering people and uplifting communities.
Guests of Sasaab and Solio Lodge—two of The Safari Collection’s sustainable luxury lodges—can visit Reteti on a private helicopter excursion. Imagine spending the morning walking alongside orphaned elephants, watching them graze, chase guinea fowl, and splash joyfully in mud baths under the African sun.
Locally-led conservation initiatives like Reteti are at the heart of sustainable travel. Each job created supports entire families, funds education, and strengthens the bond between people and wildlife. The ripple effect extends far beyond the sanctuary’s gates, fostering a future where elephants and humans thrive side by side.
When you choose to stay at The Safari Collection’s lodges through Ownia Collection, you are supporting projects like Reteti that prove luxury travel and sustainability can—and should—go hand in hand.
Book your stay at The Safari Collection through Ownia Collection and become part of the story of elephant conservation in Kenya.
