Better lives for Elephants

Why Elephants deserve our respect and need our help

Elephants are one of the most intelligent and emotionally complex animals. They will never abandon one of their herd and elephants who have met long ago will always remember each other and touch their trunks in greeting if they meet again. The herds operate as complex societies. They help each other out and they provide physical and emotional support to those injured or sick.

Human - Elephant conflict

Since 2010 SIES has been reforesting habitat, planting elephant food trees, protecting habitat from fire and employing local villagers to work in the park. These villagers have requested that we support them to deter elephants, which leave the park to forage in their farms, often destroying their farms and homes. In response to this request SIES established a landmark project to prevent fire, reforest habitat and protect elephants and villagers from Human-Elephant Conflict. These Sumatran elephant projects were generously supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service Asian Elephant Program.

Humane care at the Elephant Centre

To improve humane care of trained elephants in Way Kambas Elephant Conservation Centre SIES has managed mahout training programs, introduced and supported international tourism programs, established elephant food farms, provided fresh drinking water, responded to health emergencies and infant elephant rescue emergencies. Following the model of care developed by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, SIES successfully initiated 24 hour care of rescued infants in Way Kambas, improving survivability of sick and injured elephants.

Baby Yekti playing with Hendrick

Closing abandoned wells

Our first major elephant project in the Park was to save elephants, especially infants, who were falling into disused wells, becoming trapped and slowly dying from thirst and starvation. It was tragic for both the young elephants and their distraught mothers who were unable to rescue them. SIES closed 2,084 abandoned wells in Way Kambas National Park.