Nairobi , Kenya ( CNN ) -- Sala saunters in the red soil , her wrinkled skin glistening in the sun as she tries to keep up with the rest of the herd . It is hard to believe the 6-week-old , dwarfed by her human keeper , will grow up to be one of nature 's biggest beasts . Until then , she lives at a Nairobi orphanage that takes in baby elephants struggling to survive . There , she walks around in the lush wilderness with her peers , drinks soy milk and waves her trunk playfully as her keeper applies sunscreen on her delicate skin . A red garment tied around her back keeps it safe from the sun 's glare . Sala is one of scores of animals orphaned by drought , poaching and shrinking habitats , which have decimated wildlife across Kenya . The baby elephant was found wandering , alone and confused , after her mother died of starvation , her caretaker said . Conservation groups such as the David Sheldrick Foundation , where Sala is , have seen an influx of wildlife . The foundation takes in orphaned elephants and rhinos from across the country , a popular tourist destination because of its animals . `` You know if a human child came in need of care , you would n't put a bullet in or turn it away , '' said Daphne Sheldrick of the foundation . `` Elephants are the same . ... Whatever comes in , we have to make space . '' The facility has more than 20 elephants in Nairobi and more at another center in Tsavo National Park , where they are also rehabilitated . Kenya depends on tourism as a main source of income . Sala taps into that to help earn the $ 900 monthly cost for her upkeep . She slushes and slides in a mud bath for throngs of tourists and uses her trunk to nudge the only other person she dwarfs -- a squirming toddler . Sala and the other animals will be released back into the wilderness when they are old enough , which takes years . Long after they are gone , their caretakers will still worry about the fragile animals they help nurture . `` After working with these elephants , it 's no longer just a job , '' said Edwin Lusichi , the chief keeper . `` It is from inside your heart , the love that you have for these animals . ''
Both groups have seen an influx of wildlife . Scores of elephants are orphaned by drought , disease and shrinking populations . The Sheldrick Foundation makes room for all the elephants that come its way .