A classroom of students at Queen Elizabeth School will grow up alongside their adoptive orphaned elephant, named Sities.

Sities was originally adopted by the students last year from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust organization in Kenya, Africa. Sities marked her second birthday in January, and she will likely stay under the care of the foundation until she turns eight years old.

Elephants typically reach puberty at 13 or 14 years of age and they may live 70 years or possibly more.

The most recent keeper’s entry for Sities read: “In the absence of the Big Girls, Naipoki has taken it upon herself to mother Balguda, pushing all others who come close away. Sities would also like to mother Balguda, but Naipoki blocks her.”
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a small flexible charity, established in memory of David Sheldrick, famous naturalist and founder warden of Kenya’s giant Tsavo East National park.

Sities arrived at the Mgeno Ranch Headquarters, located within the Tsavo Conservation area, on the morning of March 22, 2010. It was suspected by staff at the ranch that Sities was orphaned because of poaching.

Sities had arrived at Mgeno on the same day that Cites Cop 15 was voted in favour of elephants, prohibiting the requested sale of ivory stockpiles from both Tanzania and Zambia.