Elephant Links

Welcome to Elephant Links

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Elephants are amazing. They are beautiful, yet dangerous; majestic, yet their survival is in jeopardy.

Elephants have had profound effects on culture, nowhere more so than in India where Ganesh, a popular Hindu god, takes the form of half elephant, half human. They are huge, and move so gracefully. Their form is unique. They have an incredible memory.

Like many people, I collect elephants. Not the real ones, though--my back yard isn't quite large enough. Besides, I'm not all that happy about having elephants locked up in enclosures.

This site is a collection of links to elephant-related information.

Elephant Appreciation Day

Don't miss Elephant Appreciation Day on September 22.

Elephant conservation

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The Elephant Centre at Kuala Gandah in Malaysia is currently conducting an appeal to raise funds to establish new enclosures for several working and orphaned elephants.
Elephant Reintroduction Foundation: aims to solve the problems facing elephants in Thailand through returning domestic elephants to the wild, restoring the habitat of wild elephants, and promoting appropriate management of elephants in Thailand.
Living with elephants: is dedicated to relieving conflict and competition between the African Elephant and human populations in Botswana. They do this by identifying sources of conflict, developing strategies for resolution and offering educational programs which encourage a harmonious relationship between elephants and people. They believe that extensive participation and commitment by the communities is a requirement for success.
Royal Elephant Kraal in Thailand is home to nearly 90 elephants. The project cares for elephants in retirement and offers a program for visitors to live with and learn about the elephants.
Savanna Elephant Vocalisation Project: A comprehensive site about elephant behaviour, communication and conservation based on long-term research in Amboseli, Kenya. Includes descriptions, sounds, photographs and video presenting the structure and content of African elephant language, also with a fully searchable database.
Elephants: information from the Humane Society of the United States, includes details of the trade in elephants and the use of ivory.
Save the elephants: was founded by researcher Iain Douglas Hamilton, and aims to "secure a future for elephants and to sustain the beauty and ecological diversity of the places where they live".
Addo Elephant National Park: located near Port Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape, the conservation success story of this park is world famous.
Elefriends: information on elephant-related projects coordinated by the Born Free Foundation.
The Elephant Sanctuary: the Elephant Sanctuary is the USA's only natural habitat refuge for endangered Asian elephants. It is located on 112 acres surrounded by a 3,000 acre buffer zone in the town of Hohenwald, Tennessee - just outside of Nashville. The focus of the sanctuary is the rescue of old, sick or needy elephants, and public education on elephant conservation issues.
Friends of the Asian Elephant: this Thailand-based organisation aims to provide treatment, rehabilitation, rescue, and release service to elephants that are disabled, ill, maltreated, and neglected so that they can eventually return to survive in their natural habitats.
Friends of the elephant: is a Dutch organisation concerned with elephants and their natural environment.
Care for the wild: information on how you can sponsor the care of an elephant.
Elephant orphanage: Pinnawela orphanage is situated northwest of the town Kegalla, halfways between the present capitol Colombo and the ancient royal residence Kandy in the hills of central Sri Lanka. It was established 1975 by the Sri Lanka Wildlife department.
Christy Williams' Elephant Page: Christy is working with the Wildlife Institute of India, and this page provides information on both captive and wild elephant populations in India.
Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society: aims to protect, conserve and preserve the wildlife of Sri Lanka. This page provides information on the fate of elephants in Sri Lanka.
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: cares for orphaned elephants and rhinos before releasing them back into the wild.
Tembe Elephant Park: is located in Maputaland, the north-eastern region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Tembe is home to the province's biggest elephant herd and its only indigenous elephants.
Elephants and ivory: an information sheet from the WWF on the effect of the ivory trade on elephants.
Wild Elephant Research and Rescue Center: The Wild Elephant Research and Rescue Fund (WERF) is a small environmental organisation in Thailand that developed from a previous elephant research project in Khao Yai.

General elephant info

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Elephant Consult: this is Dan Koehl's information-rich site that has been online since 1995.
Elephanteria: a gorgeous site of packed full of goodies for elephant lovers of all ages, including elephant art, elephant news central, kids stuff, books, t-shirts, and information on Elephant Appreciation Day. They have a very extensive listing of elephant sites online, as well as information on where to see elephants in the real world.
Elephant glossary: a little awkwardly-written, since the main version is in German.
Selected list of references on elephants: is a bibliography of reference sources from the Encyclopedia Smithsonian.
Elephant Webring: a connected collection of elephant sites. Those who host elephant sites are invited to join the webring.

Elephants and culture

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Elephant Art and Conservation Project: Russian artists, Komar and Melamid, founded an elephant art project where elephants are taught to paint and their paintings are sold to provide funds for elephant conservation. Interesting idea that seems to be able to get people to part with their money.
Horst Rellecke's Glass Elephant: an architectural project where Rellecke built a huge glass elephant on the former Maximilian mine in Hamm, Germany. See also the Maximilianpark web site.
Lucy the Margate Elephant: was built in 1881 by real estate speculator James Lafferty as an advertisement for land that he wished to sell. She is now a local landmark.
Ganesh Chaturthi: information on the festival which marks the birthday of Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god.
Ganesha, the elephant-god
Forbes Balloon: a hot air balloon shaped like an elephant.

Elephants in captivity

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Asian elephants at the Smithsonian zoo: Asian elephants are endangered in the wild, where perhaps only about 30,000 still live in forests of south and southeast Asia.
Elephant Manager's Association: a non-profit organisation that provides a forum for the transfer of knowledge on the veterinary care, training, treatment, behavioral studies, breeding, and habitat enrichment for elephants worldwide.
Elephant Nature Park: located in Thailand, the park houses over 40 elephants and acts as a tourist destination for visitors who can learn about and interact with Asian elephants.
Performing Animal Welfare Society: is a sanctuary for abandoned or abused performing animals. They currently have three Asian elephants and two African elephants in care.
RBBB Centre for Elephant Conservation: is a breeding and retirement facility for elephants, owned by the circus company Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey.
Carson and Barnes circus: information about the elephants used in the Carson and Barnes circus including the very sad story of the death of Jennie.
Thailand's talented elephants: is a discussion of the role which elephants have played in Thai culture.