Sheldricks elephant orphanage, located in Tsavo East National Park, in Kenya, was founded in 1919 and the first elephant arrived in 1954. The last elephant left in 1977. Sheldricks elephant orphanage closed down in 1977.
In 1948 David Sheldrick (1919-1977) became the first and founder Warden of the established Tsavo East National Park and he constructed the first Orphan Stockades behind his Tsavo house, where the first elephant orphanes, were kept. David Sheldrick 1960 married Daphne Woodley, the wife of one of his wardens, Bill Woodley, and together they brought up several orphaned elephants. After David Sheldricks death in 1977 Daphne Sheldrick founded the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and in Nairobi established David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi nursery, while the original orphanage in Tsavo was renamed to David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Voi, later added by David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Ithumba, David Sheldrick Trust Umani Springs Reintegration Unit in Kenya.