Elephant Conservation & Care
“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:
- Established the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Mathura, in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and rescued first elephant in 2010;
- Established Elephant Rehabilitation Centre, in collaboration with Haryana Forest Department in 2011;
- Established an exclusive Treatment Unit in 2018;
- Rescued Delhi’s last captive elephant who presently resides at the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre, Haryana, in 2019
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:
- Expansion of land for new enclosure for the elephants at ECCC and ERC;
- Sponsor an elephant from ECCC and ERC;
- Laser machine equipment for treatment of arthritic limbs
- Rubber flooring for enclosures
- Portable X-Ray machine
- Power generator for Treatment Unit
Other Collaborating Groups: TreadRight Foundation and Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary
Other Projects
Restoring Habitats for an Equitable Future
Wildlife SOS has initiated the Rewild for Wildlife project to plant native trees.
Open Wells Conservation Project
Covering up open wells of Maharashtra to prevent animals (especially leopard) from falling in
“Dancing Bear” Project
Eradication of the barbaric 400-year-old “dancing bear” practice in India and provide lifelong care and sanctuary to the bears we rescue.
Elephant Conservation & Care
Rescuing and rehabilitating captive elephants from abusive conditions and providing lifelong care in their healing journey.
Leopard Conservation
Working towards mitigation of man-leopard conflict, and rescuing orphaned and injured leopards for lifetime care.
Tribal Rehabilitation Program
Enable the indigenous communities to have alternative sustainable livelihoods after giving up their bears.
Human-Bear Conflict Mitigation
Protect and provide medical aid to bears in India vulnerable to conflict, poaching and other threats.
Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
Provide hotlines for the rescue, assistance and dedicated medical care to injured or displaced wildlife.
Anti-Poaching
The Forest Watch programme assists the Forest Department and law enforcement to crack down on wildlife traffickers, poachers and smugglers.
Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation
Mitigate conflict with wild elephant herds and provide education in the Chhattisgarh region of India.
Habitat Conservation
This conservation project aims to protect precious sloth bear habitat near the Ram durga Valley in Koppal, Karnataka, India.
Research and Conservation
Wildlife SOS recognizes that human caring and understanding is crucial to saving wild animals and protecting the habitats