“Elephant Conservation and Care Centre” is a project of Wildlife SOS, created in 2010 in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department to rehabilitate severely abused and exploited captive elephants. The Elephant Conservation and Care Centre and the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre is home to over 25 rescued elephants and is a living breathing conservation education platform to change public perception to support elephant conservation. All elephants at ECCC and ERC were rescued from extreme distress, while some were privately owned and had the cruel history of being used for begging, others spent a lifetime in captivity and confinement as temple elephants or were being forced to perform in circuses.
No longer forced to bear heavy loads, or walk on hot pavement, these majestic creatures are finally able to spend their days happily, with long and relaxing baths, nutritious diet and regular veterinary care. The centre is full of natural vegetation with enough open fields around for their daily walks and several trees available, thus making it closest to the natural habitat of the elephants.
The Elephant Rehabilitation Centre, situated in Haryana, also contains a natural water pond in which the elephants enjoy taking natural mud baths. Our elephants at the centre enjoy a free stroll through the forest throughout the day and are free to do as they please.
Keeping with our objective to protect Asian elephants from abuse, exploitation and provide them with the best medical care available, Wildlife SOS also established a Treatment Unit at ECCC specially designed to treat injured, sick, or geriatric elephants both on site and off site.
Objective: To rehabilitate and provide high degree of veterinary care, treatment, and enrichment to facilitate recovery for elephants that were found injured, abused, exploited,, orphaned, or sick, and also those that are held in illegal custody or with improper ownership papers in violation of laws.
Location/Region: Mathura, Uttar Pradesh and Ban Santour, Yamunanagar, Haryana
Milestones:
Timeline:
2010- Establishment of the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre at Mathura in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department;
2011- Establishment of the Ban Santour, Elephant Rescue and Care Centre in Yamuna Nagar, Haryana
2015- Launch of the Circus Elephant Campaign to rescue all of India’s 67 circus elephants.
2018- Established an exclusive Treatment Unit at ECCC in Mathura in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department
2019 – The Elephant Rehabilitation Centre presently houses Delhi’s last elephant who was rescued by Wildlife SOS
2019- Established India’s first Hydrotherapy Pool for Elephants
2020 – Rubber flooring installed for the treatment area of the Treatment Unit.
Project needs:
Other Collaborating Groups: TreadRight Foundation and Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary
