Photo by @amivitale for @natgeo. A small herd of rescued elephants are being lovingly rehabilitated and raised at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) in Northern Kenya in the hopes that they can be reunited with their wild brethren. Elephants are ecosystem “engineers” who feed on low brush and bulldoze small trees, promoting growth of grasses, which in turn attract bulk grazers like buffalo, endangered Grevy’s zebras, eland, and oryx, themselves prey for carnivores: lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards. Read more about Reteti in my @NatGeo story: https://tinyurl.com/kvopc69 Follow all of us, @r.e.s.c.u.e and nearby @sararacamp to support and learn more about these initiatives. @sararacamp @nrt_kenya @lewa_wildlife @conservationorg @tusk_org @kenyawildlifeservice @sandiegozoo @natgeo @natgeocreative @thephotosociety @nikonusa @nature_africa #elephant #saveelephants #retetielephants #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #magicalkenya #whyilovekenya #africa #everydayafrica #nikonusa #nikonlove #nikonnofilter #nikonambassador #nikond5s #photojournalism #amivitale

Photo by @amivitale for @natgeo. Wildlife keeper Rimland Lemojong plays ball with Pokot, a seven-month-old male elephant, in front of the elephant enclosures at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) in Northern Kenya. Pokot arrived in November 2016 and is one of a dozen elephants being rehabilitated by these dedicated keepers in the hopes of releasing him back to the wild herds of Northern Kenya, which is home to Kenya's second largest elephant population. Read more about Reteti in my @NatGeo story: https://tinyurl.com/kvopc69 Follow all of us, @r.e.s.c.u.e, nearby @sararacamp and @amivitale to support and learn more about these initiatives. @sararacamp @nrt_kenya @lewa_wildlife @conservationorg @tusk_org @kenyawildlifeservice @sandiegozoo @natgeo @natgeocreative @thephotosociety @nikonusa @nature_africa #elephant #saveelephants #retetielephants #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #magicalkenya #whyilovekenya #africa #everydayafrica #nikonusa #nikonlove #nikonnofilter #nikonambassador #nikond5s #photojournalism #amivitale

Photo by @amivitale for @natgeo. Lkalatian Lopeta (right), a Samburu wildlife ranger, and staff from the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) guard the two-week-old elephant Kinya. She was found trapped in a hand-dug well by Samburu warriors who sent word to Reteti. The wildlife keepers waited more than a day to see if Kinya's family herd would return, then decided to bring her back to the sanctuary for safekeeping. Read more about Reteti in my @NatGeo story: https://tinyurl.com/kvopc69 Follow all of us, @r.e.s.c.u.e, nearby @sararacamp and @amivitale to support and learn more about these initiatives. @sararacamp @nrt_kenya @lewa_wildlife @conservationorg @tusk_org @kenyawildlifeservice @sandiegozoo @natgeo @natgeocreative @thephotosociety @nikonusa @nature_africa #elephant #saveelephants #retetielephants #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #magicalkenya #whyilovekenya #africa #everydayafrica #nikonusa #nikonlove #nikonnofilter #nikonambassador #nikond5s #photojournalism #amivitale

Photo by @amivitale. The Mathews Range of Northern Kenya is home to forests of cycads and juniper as well as elephants, giraffes and other large mammals. These sky islands are surrounded by plains and nested in the southern corner is the 850,000 acre Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, managed by the local Samburu community. You can aid the conservation work happening here by visiting Sarara Camp (@sararacamp) and supporting organizations working directly with the local communities. @nrt_kenya @lewa_wildlife @natgeo @natgeocreative @thephotosociety @nikonusa @nature_africa #retetielephants #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #magicalkenya #whyilovekenya #africa #everydayafrica #ecotourism #natgeolodges #nikonusa #nikonlove #nikonnofilter #nikonambassador #nikond5s #photojournalism #amivitale

Photo by @amivitale. Young elephants play together at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e) in Northern Kenya. Elephants are highly sensitive; if a baby elephant complains, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it. These elephants were rescued after being orphaned or abandoned — some due to drought and environmental conditions, others due to poaching. They are under the excellent care of wildlife keepers recruited from the local community, who also lead the sanctuary and the nearby Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy. @nrt_kenya @lewa_wildlife @conservationorg @tusk_org @kenyawildlifeservice @sandiegozoo @natgeo @natgeocreative @thephotosociety @nikonusa #elephant #saveelephants #retetielephants #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #magicalkenya #whyilovekenya #africa #everydayafrica #nikonusa #nikonlove #nikonnofilter #nikonambassador #nikond5s #photojournalism #amivitale