Elephant Aid International : Projects
The Working Elephant Retirement Home
Location: Sauraha, Nepal
The Working Elephant Retirement Home (WERH)
EAI is collaborating with National Trust for Nature Conservation's Biodiversity Conservation Center on a much-needed retirement home for elephants used for anti-poaching patrol and tourist safari rides in Chitwan National Park, Sauraha, Nepal.
Elephant ownership is a fairly new cottage industry in Nepal. Local guest house owners purchase elephants, hire mahouts to handle them and rent them out for tourist rides. Many of the elephants work long hours hauling tourists around the community forest. The local authorities provide veterinary assistance whenever possible and EAI provides foot care, but there is no provision for retirement and no facilities to address the health and management issues aging elephants face.
Once the land is acquired it will be fenced to contain the elephants so they can live chain-free without human harassment. The project will include non-invasive educational and a forum for formal mahout training. Once operational, the Home will also offer volunteer programs, providing an alternative for tourists who wish to learn about elephants without exploiting them.
