Is it a genuine wildlife sanctuary?
How to know if the sanctuary you want to visit is a genuine one that puts the animals' welfare first.
Elephant sanctuaries
These places provide a natural habitat and safe environment that meet the highest welfare requirements for their resident elephants.
What makes a sanctuary genuine?
A genuine sanctuary provides a very high welfare standard of care and environment for their elephants. They do not take animals from the wild unless they are injured, and they do not breed animals unless they are being released into the wild.
Their mission should support protection and conservation – rescuing and providing elephants from logging and tourist entertainment a place to retire.
And of course, a genuine sanctuary would never exploit the elephants or other animals in their care for tourist entertainment, like rides and shows.
A genuine sanctuary exists to help animals and it should have a mission that aligns with that core purpose. Often sanctuaries have connections to local communities as they need to grow a lot of food to feed a sanctuary of elephants.
They also need experts to treat and care for the elephants, and trained staff to maintain the sanctuary grounds and facilities. Protecting these animals and conserving their habitat can become the normal way we do things.
Meet our partner elephant sanctuaries
Thailand:
- ChangChill
- Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary
- Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary
- Elephant Valley Thailand
- Following Giants
- Global Vision International
- Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary
- Mahouts Elephant Foundation
Cambodia:
Nepal:
You can find our full list of how elephant venues are performing by clicking here.
ChangChill: better for elephants, better for tourism
With our support, that of the TUI Care Foundations, and the encouragement from some of the world’s leading travel companies, ChangChill is now a place where elephants can be elephants, and tourists can have the honour of witnessing that.
What’s in a name?
A venue may call itself a sanctuary, rescue centre, or retirement home for elephants, but don’t assume this means they are meeting any welfare requirements. It’s important to do some research before booking.
