Testimonials

I leave a piece of my heart here with the team and with the elephants. Thank you for being such a memorable part of my life, and I hope to see you soon.

There are no books to read, videos to watch or stories to hear that can adequately describe my experience here

my experiences in the field with the elephants and guides have been excellent. Watching the ten ellies interact with their environment, each other, and operate in their own manners has given me such valuable insight that a textbook could not.

…there were so many special moments each and every day. The first time I met the elephants I was in awe. They are all so special in their own way and this became more and more evident the longer I spent time with them.

The joy and laughter that I have experienced here is unlike anything I think I could get anywhere else. It is so relieving to know that there are other people in the world that love elephants like I love elephants. Whether it is the staff members, the volunteers, or the guides, I was always in good company.

Spending my time at a research facility has really opened my eyes to see what is going on to help conserve this magnificent species. To see the hard work from the research team being translated in other parks across Africa is brilliant

…it will be very sad to leave all 10 ellies behind but we have been lucky enough to come and live our dream and explore this amazing country

These have genuinely been the best weeks of my life and the happiness I feel every time I see the elephants has not gone away.

Learning the history of AERU from Dr Debbie was fascinating and Clare’s presentation on SDB’s, though very humorous, helped me understand just how much elephants are like humans and the work they do is so important in making captive elephants all over the world happier and healthier.

I had always read about the Knysna elephants; the forest, and how our souls connect to these experiences, but never did I think I’d be able to live this fantasy myself.