little ones go, things get a lot less familiar. one woman has been through the routine more than 100 times, and as you're about to see, she's making an important difference. to tell her story, nbc's maria menounos traveled to kenya. >> reporter: it's 6:00 a.m. and 3-week-old wasim is just waking up. nearby, 18 other sleepy orphans are in need of a stretch, a push, and even a morning cuddle. their keepers guide them every step of the way. for over 30 years, this wild life trust has been rescuing baby elephants like these. and they're teaching them what their moms would have taught them had they not been victims of poaching. before he was rescued, young alari wept by his dying mother's side for hours. those kinds of traumatic memories are one of the many reasons keepers stay with them 24 hours a day, even sleep with them at night and feed them every three hours. >> they all have different characters.