For nearly three decades, Wildlife SOS has been a beacon of hope for India’s wildlife. Their mission: to rescue and rehabilitate animals in distress. Over the years, the organisation has achieved monumental milestones, from eradicating the cruel practice of ‘dancing’ bears to expanding its efforts to protect leopards, elephants, and other endangered species.
The journey of Wildlife SOS’s elephant conservation efforts began with Champa, a gentle elephant our co-founders would frequently come across on their way to the Agra Bear Rescue Centre, where rescued dancing bears are housed. Providing the ailing elephant relief laid the foundation for what would become a transformative initiative that has led to the rescue of over 45 elephants that were used as begging elephants, temple elephants, and those exploited for rides.
As the organisation evolved, it became clear that rescuing and rehabilitating neglected elephants in captivity was one piece of a larger puzzle. Wildlife SOS’s vision has always been centred on the conservation of wildlife. To fulfill this mission, the team recognised the need to extend their focus beyond captive elephants and address the challenges facing wild populations as well, as India’s elephants face significant threats like habitat loss and fragmentation. These have led to the shrinking of elephant corridors, which is a major concern as these ancient pathways are essential for their migration and survival.
This marked the beginning of a long-standing partnership with forest departments across the country for the conservation of wild elephants in India. While Wildlife SOS brought expertise, innovative approaches, and an unwavering commitment to wildlife conservation, the forest departments contributed invaluable local knowledge, resources, and authority to implement impactful solutions.
Together, this collaborative effort has supported the conservation of wild elephants and other protected species through a range of initiatives. These include providing critical medical treatment to injured wild elephants, assistance in mitigating human-elephant conflict, and fostering coexistence through community engagement and specialised training programmes for field staff. Understanding human-elephant conflict in cases of crop raiding, and implementing Early Warning Systems (EWS) has been key to reducing tensions and saving lives.
The rescue of Champa lit the way for us towards the conservation of elephants, both captive and in the wild, reflecting the organisation’s commitment to creating a safer, more sustainable world for the majestic species.
Making a Tangible Impact
The collaboration between Wildlife SOS and forest departments is not just theoretical—it translates into impactful actions on the ground. Through medical outreach and conflict mitigation programmes, Wildlife SOS has responded to numerous critical situations. With declining wildlife corridors and increased human activity disrupting natural elephant migration patterns, the need to intervene has become more urgent than ever.
These operations are extremely delicate and challenging, as most injured elephants brought to our attention are already in critical condition. It is important to note that elephants with minor injuries recover naturally in the wild and do not require human intervention. Only those cases of elephants that emerge from the forests, are in dire need of aid, and unintentionally cause conflict in human settlements or fields need to be tackled responsibly. While the chances of the elephant’s survival in some cases may unfortunately be slim, every possible effort is made by the team to provide them with the best care. Here are some of the instances where the Wildlife SOS has collaborated with the forest department to help wild elephants in need:
- Caring for an Orphaned Calf
An abandoned wild elephant calf was found weak and malnourished in a sugarcane field in Bijnor District, Uttar Pradesh. After attempts to reunite her with her herd yielded no results, our team and the forest department took it upon themselves to gently hand-rear the calf for a while. Weeks under careful care led the calf to make a recovery, and she was relocated to a national park. Fortunately, she received needed nourishment from a lactating mother elephant present in the sanctuary.
- Treating a Calf Attacked by Tiger
Wildlife SOS assisted Corbett National Park veterinarians in treating a three-month-old elephant calf injured in a tiger attack. The calf had severe injuries, including a dislocated shoulder and a wounded leg. After conducting X-rays using a portable hand-held machine, Wildlife SOS developed a comprehensive treatment plan for its recovery.
- First-Aid for a Wounded Bull Elephant
Wildlife SOS supported forest officials in treating an adult bull elephant found limping in a forest near Uttar Pradesh. To minimise stress, the team disguised the required medication in bananas and jaggery balls, administering first-aid to the elephant before he made a safe retreat into the forest.
- Efforts to Save a Tusker Stuck in Mud
Torrential rains in a town in Uttar Pradesh once caused a wild male elephant to become stuck in deep mud while returning from a nearby river. Despite relentless efforts by Wildlife SOS and the forest department, which included medical attention and the use of JCB and tractors to safely lift the elephant, the tusker tragically succumbed to his injuries.
- Mitigating Conflict in Nagina Forest
A male tusker from Corbett National Park wandered into sugarcane fields near Nagina Forest in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. Tragically, a human fatality occurred when a man ventured too close to the tusker in an attempt to take a selfie. our team provided necessary support to the forest department to safely guide the elephant back to the forest, averting further conflict and possible retaliatory actions against the elephant.
- A Battle Against Severe Injury
In the Haldu Khata forest section in Najibabad town in Uttar Pradesh, an adult male elephant was struggling to walk due to a maggot-infested wound on its hind leg. For several days, oral medications for pain relief, maggot control, and essential supplements were administered by cleverly concealing them in jaggery and fruits. Additionally, our team applied antiseptic sprays and fly repellents, using water sprayers, to the elephant’s wound to prevent further infection and aid in its healing. However, despite our tireless efforts, the elephant’s condition remained critical, and it ultimately did not survive.
In addition to conflict mitigation and on-site treatment for wild elephants, Wildlife SOS collaborates with district forest officers and forest department staff to hold health camps for captive elephants that are in urgent need of medical care. This year, our team organised a free health clinic for logging elephants in Assam, providing essential medication and treatments such as laser therapy, toenail and foot pad care, and diagnoses with prescribed treatments for other health issues. The clinic successfully offered valuable guidance on elephant care and welfare to their mahouts.
These cases are proof of the complexity that elephant conservation exposes, and the firm dedication of the forest department, Wildlife SOS, and the various stakeholders involved in this venture. Despite our best efforts, there are times when we cannot save these gentle giants—a loss that weighs heavily on our hearts. Yet, this is both the challenge we face and the driving force behind our commitment to grow and expand our knowledge. The heartbreak of each loss, combined with the hope of saving every new life, fuels our determination to keep learning, improving, and fighting for a world where elephants can thrive in peace.
Every intervention made in situations of distress underscores the critical need for continued support, collaboration, and innovation to protect India’s wild elephant. If you’d like to support our mission and be a part of this transformative change, consider donating to our cause.
