Adopt an Elephant

Elephants are under threat. Elephant populations have suffered devastating losses within little more than a century. African elephant numbers have fallen by more than 95%, from an estimated 12 million, while fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants are now thought to remain in the wild. Poaching for ivory remains a serious threat, while habitat loss and fragmentation are leaving elephants with fewer safe, connected places in which to roam. As human populations expand into elephant habitats, conflict can also lead to retaliatory killings when elephants damage crops or enter communities. Without continued action, future generations could grow up in a world without wild elephants. How your elephant adoption helps overseas The Aspinall Foundation works with conservation partners to rescue, relocate and rewild elephants, while also supporting research and protection for wild populations. Tswale was captured as a calf and spent more than two decades in captivity, much of that time being used for human interactions. In 2025, with support from The Aspinall Foundation and other conservation partners, Tswale began a carefully managed journey towards freedom. He was relocated to Bellevue Forest Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, where he spent time adjusting to his new surroundings before joining the resident elephant herd. Today, Tswale is living freely alongside other elephants in a protected wild environment. His extraordinary journey demonstrates that, with careful preparation and expert support, elephants from captive environments can adapt to life in the wild. Understanding and protecting forest elephants In Gabon, The Aspinall Foundation uses camera traps, field observations and DNA collected from elephant dung to learn more about forest elephants in Batéké Plateau National Park. This research helps build a clearer picture of the population, inform future protection and support efforts to trace illegally traded ivory. Patrols carried out alongside the project also help deter illegal activity across the landscape. Adopt an elephant with The Aspinall Foundation and help us give captive elephants the opportunity to live wild while protecting threatened populations in their natural habitat. Fun facts about elephants The African savanna elephant is the largest living land animal, with adult males sometimes weighing more than six tonnes. An elephant’s trunk contains around 150,000 muscle units and is used for breathing, smelling, drinking, communicating and picking up objects. Elephant tusks are enlarged incisor teeth that continue growing throughout the animal’s life. Elephants communicate using a variety of trumpets, rumbles and other calls. Some low-frequency sounds can travel over long distances and may be too deep for humans to hear. Elephants enjoy bathing and will often cover themselves with mud or dust afterwards, helping to protect their skin from insects and the sun. Elephants are among the small number of animals that have demonstrated the ability to recognise themselves in a mirror. Elephant families are usually led by an experienced female known as a matriarch, who uses her knowledge to guide the herd towards food, water and safety. Elephant calves can often stand within their first hour of life and must quickly learn to keep up with the herd.