At its core, Elephant Havens is committed to providing a nurturing habitat for elephants rescued from adverse situations, such as human-wildlife conflict, adverse climate conditions, fire, predation or habitat loss. Their dedication extends to the physical, emotional, and social well-being of these intelligent and sensitive animals, underscoring their mission to ensure holistic care and recovery.
Elephant Haven’s primary focus is on rescuing and rehabilitating young orphaned and abandoned elephants. By providing a safe haven, these elephants receive the necessary care and support to eventually reintegrate into the wild. This noble mission is underpinned by a deep understanding of the importance of elephants in the ecosystem and the threats they face, from human-wildlife conflict and the habitat loss that drives some of that conflict. Elephant Havens actively rescues elephants from critical situations and employs a comprehensive approach to their rehabilitation, focusing on both physical health and psychological wellbeing.
With an emphasis on research to enhance understanding of elephants, this knowledge is integrated into educational programmes aimed at increasing public awareness and responsibility towards wildlife conservation. Our local partners are dedicated to informing and engaging local students about conservation, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the preservation of African elephants and their habitats. This educational initiative is a fundamental aspect of their efforts to ensure long-term sustainability and community support for elephant conservation. Elephant Havens are also partnering with Colossal, a bioscience and genetics laboratory to develop technology-based strategies to establish a new model playbook for reintroducing orphan elephants back into the wild.
To better understand and preserve elephant populations, Colossal also sequences the genomes of orphans at Elephant Havens, and implements biobanking and genetic research for future generations. This partnership will be vital to the future of the conservation community, setting an entirely new precedent for species reintroduction.
Recognising the interdependence of wildlife conservation and community well-being, our new local partner, Elephant Havens, engages with local communities to forge beneficial partnerships for both humans and elephants, promoting harmonious coexistence. A key aspect of Elephant Havens’ success lies in its community-driven approach. Recognising the vital role local communities play in conservation, the organisation actively involves the community in its efforts. Co-founder Boago (“Bee”) Poloko explains how managing human-elephant conflict is a main part of their mission, and how communities have to benefit from the elephants.
