Elephants Alive

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Elephants Alive’s mission is to protect elephants and their habitats and promote harmonious co-existence with humans.

VISION: We envision a world with space for elephants and people to thrive.

MISSION: Our mission is to ensure the survival of elephants and their habitats, and to promote the harmonious co-existence of elephants and people.

For more than 28 years, Elephants Alive has been guided by the principle: to go wherever elephants lead us. This allows us to be flexible so that our programs can evolve and adapt organically to the needs shown to us by elephants and the people they share their habitat with. Our journeys in the footsteps of elephants have not only taught us a lot about elephants, but also about the people they share the landscape with. A key lesson has been that we are stronger, tackling the challenges, together.   

With science as our compass and elephants as our guide, we have chartered a new model that benefits both elephants and communities: offering elephants the security they need, whilst simultaneously diversifying farmers’ income and increasing their food security. We protect elephants’ lives and peoples’ livelihoods while we move the needle from human-elephant conflict, to coexistence.

More info: www.elephantsalive.org

16/10/2026

Being recognized at is a massive honor and a testament to our team’s dedication to environmental excellence 💚🐘

This milestone inspires us to push even further in our mission to protect and preserve our planet

We were honored with two Bronze awards, for our Elephant Shepherds programme and Dr Michelle Henley, our CEO, co-founder, and Principal Researcher

A huge thank you to the judges, our incredible team, and everyone who continue to make our work possible 🌍✨

If you would like to directly support our Elephant Shepherds, you can donate here:

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/elephants-alive-shepherd-program/

09/10/2026

Our 2025 Annual Report is here!! 🐘

2025 was a year of growth for Elephants Alive. We completed our 309th collaring operation, our Elephant Shepherds achieved a 99.3% deterrence success rate, and we launched our new Biodiversity and Carbon Project to understand how elephants shape the landscapes they move through.

We also celebrated 3 incredible milestones: 30 years of our amazing CEO, Dr Michelle Henley’s work with elephants, 20 years of following Tussle, and 10 years of Ronny on our team.

None of this would be possible without you. To the APNR, our donors, grantors, partners, communities, Gogos, volunteers and everyone who follows and shares our work, we thank you. Your support keeps our boots on the ground and helps secure a future where people and elephants can thrive together 🤍

Please share this far and wide 🙌

Read the full report via the link in the comments 🔗

07/10/2026

Camp 40 for our lovely Ndlopfu Gogos 🐘💛

We recently hosted a group of grannies from Phalaubeni, one of our identified hotspot communities for game poaching, for an unforgettable few days.

The camp began at HERD Elephant Orphanage where the gogos came face to face with elephants and learned more about these incredible animals up close.

From there, the group travelled to Tsakane Safari Camp where Maja Pangolin welcomed them warmly. Over the camp, the gogos enjoyed game drives led by Graham Cooke, learned about medicinal plants, and joined fun educational games with Ronny and Tinyiko. One favourite activity was stuffing elephant and dolphin soft toys, generously donated by Charlotte Gabriel!

A huge thank you to everyone who made this camp possible:

🐘 The HERD, for the elephant encounter
🏕️ Tsakane Safari Camp and Maja Pangolin, for hosting us
🚙 Graham Cooke, for the game drives
🍲 Sonti and Prudence, for catering and accommodation
📸 Rifumo Mathebula and Mike Kendrick for photographing and documenting the camp
🧸 Charlotte Gabriel, for the soft toys
💛 Jan Bettin and Blankets For Baby Rhinos for their support of the camp

06/10/2026

From the field to green queens 💚

Last night we understood the assignment: glamorous green, all the way. We took home two Bronze awards for our Elephant Shepherds programme and one for Dr Michelle Henley, our CEO, co-founder and Principal Researcher

It was a pleasure for Dr Michelle Henley, Dr Katherine Bunner and Sarah Lane to attend such a prestigious event

We felt so proud to be part of Elephants Alive, and it was inspiring to be surrounded by so many dedicated, passionate and resilient people 🐘

Thank you for having us Eco-Logic Awards ✨💚

04/10/2026

🐘🦁 Happy World Animal Day!

We work with elephants, but we’re always reminded that elephants are just one part of something much bigger.

Protecting elephants means protecting the landscapes they share with lions, birds, insects, trees, plants and countless other species.

So today, we’re celebrating all species, and all the connections between them. 🌍

Because conservation isn’t about protecting one species in isolation. It’s about protecting the ecosystems that allow them all to thrive.

Credit: Annette Berger

01/10/2026

What does human–elephant conflict need more of? 🐘

More people with the right skills, knowledge and experience on the ground!

That’s why we were so delighted to receive funding from the Elephant Crisis Fund to expand our Elephant Shepherd team 🙌

Four new shepherds will be joining our incredible team, helping us strengthen our work with communities living alongside elephants.

We’re SO excited to welcome them, more on our new shepherds coming soon! 👀

For now, if you’d like to support this work, you can do so here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/elephants-alive-shepherd-program/

Because conservation needs all of us 💚🐘

29/09/2026

🐘 We’ve been tracking Tussle for 20 years, two decades of following his movements, understanding his life and learning more about the elephants we work so hard to protect

🎙️ The voice you’re hearing in this video belongs to Ronnie, who has been part of the Elephants Alive team for 10 years. A decade of dedication to elephants and conservation, and a long term friend to Tussle

And our CEO, Co-founder and Principal Researcher, Dr Michelle Henley, is celebrating 30 years of Elephants Alive! An incredible achievement and a testament to the long-term commitment that conservation requires

These milestones are a reminder that conservation is a long game. It’s built on patience, commitment, relationships and people who keep showing up for elephants, year after year 💚

Annual report coming soon 👀

And if you’re able to support our work, please consider making a donation. Every contribution helps us keep this vital work going

Thank you for all your support, and a huge thank you to the APNR for enabling us to carry out this incredible work 🙏

28/09/2026

Can elephants and big trees coexist? 🐘🌳

For decades, the answer seemed simple: fewer elephants, more trees. But our review in Koedoe shows it isn’t that straightforward. Kruger culled elephants for nearly 30 years, and large trees still declined. Fire, seedling browsing by other herbivores, climate and history all play a part, and elephants themselves help plant the next generation of trees.

What works better is adaptive management matched to the landscape: shaping where elephants go, protecting individual trees with wire-netting or beehives, and choosing methods that are practical, affordable and ethical for elephants.

Swipe through for the key findings 📖

25/09/2026

What’s better than a Friday? A Friday with cake involved, of course! 🎂🐘

Once a month, our team comes together on a Friday to celebrate all the birthdays that have fallen that month

It’s so lovely when our project teams, working across different areas, get the chance to come together, catch up and celebrate each other 💚

Happy weekend, everyone 🎉

24/09/2026

🇿🇦🐘 Celebrating South Africa’s natural heritage

Today, on Heritage Day, we celebrate the people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife that make South Africa so special.

Elephants are an important part of our natural heritage, shaping landscapes, connecting ecosystems and inspiring generations of people.

Protecting this heritage means creating a future where elephants, people and landscapes can thrive together. 🌿

Happy Heritage Day from all of us at Elephants Alive! 🇿🇦💚

ConservationInAction

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Ekuthuleni Share Block
Hoedspruit
1380

Website

http://www.elephantsalive.org/

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