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Living with Elephants, Botswana

Sanctuary Retreats and non-profit charity Living With Elephants invite you to explore Africa from an elephant’s perspective. Meet and interact with Jabu, Thembi and Morula, a trio of semi-habituated orphaned elephants, while walking in their gigantic and silent footsteps. This is a truly uplifting experience that leaves a lasting impression on all who share their time with the elephants.

Living with Elephants is exclusive to Sanctuary Baines' Camp and Sanctuary Stanley's Camp in the Okavango Delta, Botswana allowing guests to observe and interact with the three elephants on a leisurely walk, before enjoying a picnic lunch in their company. The foundation was launched in 1999 by American couple Doug and Sandi Groves, and the charity is dedicated to creating harmonious relationships between people and elephants. 

Living with Elephants also works to secure the long term future of its elephant ambassadors. Elephants can live for 70 years so when Doug and Sandi adopted Jabu, Thembi and Morula, rescuing them from culling operations that had left them orphans, they knew they were making a life-long commitment to the trio – and that the trio would probably outlive the Groves by decades.

Every year, Living with Elephants offers children from neighbouring villages the opportunity to interact with Jabu, Thembi and Morula. Immersed in the world of the African elephant for two days, ten children at a time (aged between 9 and 12 years), along with two adult chaperones, participate in active educational games and share in discussions, art and music. They learn about the natural history, ecology and behaviour of the African elephant, their complex interaction with people, and explore actions that encourage a more positive relationship between elephants and humans. Sanctuary is proud to sponsor Living with Elephants’ invaluable work to improve the human-elephant interface... one child at a time.

Download more information here. To find out how you can help this project during your Botswana safari, please contact us.