© Jane Wynyard
Securing A Future For Elephants
Our mission is to secure a future for elephants and to sustain the beauty and ecological integrity of the places they live; to promote man’s delight in their intelligence and the diversity of their world, and to develop a tolerant relationship between the two species.
Tickets are selling fast to the UK premiere of ‘A Life Among Elephants’ which premieres at the Royal Geographic Society in London on Thursday November 21.
The film celebrates the life and work of Save the Elephants’ founder, Iain Douglas-Hamilton and his lifelong mission to protect elephants.
A groundbreaking study released today reveals the alarming state of African elephant populations over the last 50 years. Both forest and savanna elephant species have experienced widespread declines due to overexploitation and habitat loss, mirroring the global trend affecting large-bodied animals. The study was led by Save the Elephants, University of Washington, Wildlife Conservation Society, Nelson Mandela University, and WWF Namibia.
A nine-year study shows that elephants avoid beehive fences around small-scale farms in Kenya up to 86% of the time during peak crop seasons, helping reduce human-elephant conflict and increase farmers’ income. Published in Conservation Science and Practice, the research highlights the potential of nature-based solutions to protect both livelihoods and wildlife. The study was led by Save the Elephants in collaboration with the Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Kenya Wildlife Service, and the University of Oxford.
A groundbreaking study reveals that African elephants use unique “vocal labels” to address one another, akin to names in human communication. Conducted by researchers from Save the Elephants, Colorado State University, and ElephantVoices, the study recorded vocalizations from wild elephants in Kenya, uncovering these individually specific calls. Published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the findings offer new insights into animal cognition and language evolution.
A new study highlights that powerful nature films like The Elephant Queen, created by filmmakers Mark Deeble, Victoria Stone, and Etienne Oliff, can positively impact attitudes and support for elephants in rural communities. Sponsored by Save the Elephants, the study examines the film’s mobile cinema outreach across Kenya, revealing its potential to foster conservation awareness in marginalized areas facing increasing human-elephant conflict.
Save the Elephants (STE) researchers have identified what may be the first publicly documented case of a male African elephant born without tusks. This rare discovery, published in Pachyderm, defies genetic assumptions that tusklessness occurs only in females. The 13-year-old tuskless male, from the Hawaiian Islands family in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya, was first observed as a calf in 2011 by STE’s Director of Field Operations, David Daballen. His tuskless mother, Kauai, raises questions about the inheritance of this unique trait.
As human-elephant conflict increases across Africa, farmers need practical, sustainable and affordable ways to peacefully co-exist with elephants without having to resort to violence. Save the Elephants has developed a unique ‘how to’ manual, the Human-Elephant Coexistence (HEC) Toolbox of tried and tested elephant deterrents to empower rural communities to protect their livelihoods from elephants. Built on the success of STE’s Elephants and Bees Project in Tsavo, the Toolbox is the brainchild of Dr Lucy King who heads up STE’s Human-Elephant Coexistence program.
Elephants are Africa’s gardeners and landscape engineers, planting seeds and creating habitat wherever they roam. Without urgent action to save their species, elephants could disappear from the wild within a single generation. Approximately 100,000 elephants in Africa were killed for their ivory in just three years between the years 2010 & 2012.
See the latest news and scientific publications from Save the Elephants
A groundbreaking study released today reveals the alarming state of African elephant populations over the last 50 years. Both forest and savanna elephant species have experienced widespread declines due to overexploitation and habitat loss, mirroring the global trend affecting large-bodied animals.
A groundbreaking, nine-year study has revealed that elephants approaching small-scale farms in Kenya avoid beehive fences housing live honey bees up to 86% of the time during peak crop seasons.
A groundbreaking, nine-year study has revealed that elephants approaching small-scale farms in Kenya avoid beehive fences housing live honey bees up to 86% of the time during peak crop seasons.
Long-term quantification of temporal species trends is fundamental to the assignment of conservation status, which in turn is critical for planning and targeting management interventions.
© Frank af Petersens
Leaders in elephant science, Save the Elephants provides cutting-edge scientific insights into elephant behavior, intelligence, and long-distance movement and applies them to the long-term challenges of elephant conservation.
The Samburu elephant population is one of the most extensively studied in the world. The elephants’ births, deaths, and interactions are closely monitored, making this population a valuable resource for understanding elephant society. Read more here
We conduct vital research on elephant behaviour and ecology and pioneered GPS radio tracking in Africa to provide fresh insight into the life of elephants. Our solid scientific data has helped shift international policy towards a better future for the species. Read more here
Our STE Wildtracks App enables us to conduct real-time monitoring of elephant movements. The data compiled is used to make critical decisions about elephant corridors as well as to respond quickly to elephants in distress. Read more here
