Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP)
Location
South Kafue National Park, Zambia
Support started
2010
Species
African Elephant
Mission
Rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned elephants back into the wild. Our funds will enable the day-to-day care of the orphans, assist in the rescues of new orphaned calves, and promote the well-being of newly rescued calves, who are extremely vulnerable.
Donating
Annual donation towards the costs for veterinary care and food for the elephants.
The Elephant Orphanage Project was established in Zambia in 2007 with the aim to rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned elephants back into the wild. The EOP is the only programme of its kind in Zambia.
The Elephant Orphanage Project has developed two facilities to provide the specific care requirements for the elephant orphans it receives. EOP offers a mobile rescue unit, which aims to respond to orphan alerts within 12 hours of contact and transport the calves to the EOP Lilayi Elephant Nursery (LEN) where these fragile elephants are cared for around the clock. A team of locally employed, highly trained keepers care for them and watch over them constantly – whether out during their daily walks or sitting close by their stables at night. Together with their new siblings and keepers, these young elephants learn to overcome the tragic loss of their natal family, as they browse, play and bath together within a natural environment. As soon as the calves can be weaned from milk, they are moved to the Kafue National Park to join other older orphaned elephants as EOP Kafue Release Facility (KRF) where they become more independent of human support and spend most of their time browsing freely in the National Park.
The facility backs onto the ancient Ngoma Teak Forest where there is a significant local elephant population, which maximises the opportunity for the orphans to eventually reintegrate with fellow elephants back in the wild. Over time, the orphans become more independent of the facility and younger herd and will start to live further away, demonstrating their interest and ability to live back in the wild where they belong.
The Elephant Orphanage Project has developed two facilities to provide the specific care requirements for the elephant orphans it receives. EOP offers a mobile rescue unit, which aims to respond to orphan alerts within 12 hours of contact and transport the calves to the EOP Lilayi Elephant Nursery (LEN) where these fragile elephants are cared for around the clock. A team of locally employed, highly trained keepers care for them and watch over them constantly – whether out during their daily walks or sitting close by their stables at night. Together with their new siblings and keepers, these young elephants learn to overcome the tragic loss of their natal family, as they browse, play and bath together within a natural environment. As soon as the calves can be weaned from milk, they are moved to the Kafue National Park to join other older orphaned elephants as EOP Kafue Release Facility (KRF) where they become more independent of human support and spend most of their time browsing freely in the National Park.
The facility backs onto the ancient Ngoma Teak Forest where there is a significant local elephant population, which maximises the opportunity for the orphans to eventually reintegrate with fellow elephants back in the wild. Over time, the orphans become more independent of the facility and younger herd and will start to live further away, demonstrating their interest and ability to live back in the wild where they belong.
Colchester Zoo Action for the Wild has donated £68,678 to the Elephant Orphanage Project since 2010. In 2023, we will be making an additional contribution of £10,000 to this important project to support elephant costs and also to support their Deputy Head Elephant Keeper, Aaron.
Our funds will enable the day-to-day care of the orphans, assist in the rescues of new orphaned calves, and promote the well-being of newly rescued calves, who are extremely vulnerable.
Our funds will enable the day-to-day care of the orphans, assist in the rescues of new orphaned calves, and promote the well-being of newly rescued calves, who are extremely vulnerable.
The ultimate aim is to continue to facilitate the release of the elephants back into the wild. Post-release they will continue to be studied and observed to determine their ability to integrate within wild elephant society.
Website: www.gamerangersinternational.org/elephant-orphanage-project
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GameRangersInternational/