Elephant Sanctuary, Hartbeespoort, Hazyview, Plettenberg Bay

The Elephant Sanctuary - South Africa - has three sanctuaries across three provinces, each offering a unique set of experiences for visitors.

Our elephants have been domesticated through positive reinforcement animal management principles, and as a result, provide us with the unique opportunity to interact with them.

Visitors are taken on a journey into the world of the African elephant and guided through unforgettable experiences with these magnificent creatures. When meeting them, you will discover that each one has a different character, personality, and temperament.

Children of all ages are welcome on all interactive elephant experiences, and can walk hand-in-trunk with the elephants.

Elephant Sanctuary: Hartbeespoort Dam

Elephant programmes: The Elephant Sanctuary Hartebeespoort Dam offers intimate, hands-on educational elephant interactions as well as overnight accommodation. Our dedicated staff is committed to the use of positive reinforcement elephant training methods and as a result, we have relaxed elephants who enjoy interacting with our guests.

Elephant Interaction Program: Guests are guided on foot through The Elephant Sanctuary. After being introduced to our elephants in our forest area, you’ll be able to touch, feed and interact with them, walk trunk-in-hand with them, etc. Our 08h00 Elephant Experiences include brushing the elephants down; the price of elephant feed is included in all tours.

Accommodation: Tuskers Bush Lodge offers exclusive and intimate B&B accommodation (6 rooms, max 12 guests). See www.tuskerslodge.co.za

Contact: Elephant Sanctuary Hartbeespoort Dam

R104, Zandfontein, Hartbeespoort Dam
GPS Coordinates: 25°43'239S, 27°48'320E,
Email: reservations@elephantsanctuary.co.za
Telephone: +27 (0)12 258 9904/5/6

www.hartebeespoortdam.elephantsanctuary.co.za

Elephant Sanctuary: Hazyview

Elephant Programs: Guests are guided in small groups on foot. You will be introduced to our elephants in the forest area, and here you will be able to touch and interact with the elephants. You will see the special relationship that the elephant handlers share with their elephants and become a part of it.

Early Morning Elephant Brush-down: 07h30, 7 days a week; 2 hours. After early morning coffee, assist us with grooming our giants - an up-close and personal brush-down; then join our Interaction Program toll learn about their background, and to enjoy touching, feeding and walking.
Elephant Interaction Program: 90 minutes: Introduction in our Forest and tour of the Sanctuary and Shelters. Touch, feel, interact, walk with trunk-in-hand, and feed the elephants Kaspar and Kitso.
Elephant Sundowner Experience: 15h00, 7 days a week; 90 minutes: Touch, feel, and feed two of our elephants, and watch them swimming if it’s a hot day.
Ultimate Elephant Experience: join us for an Elephant Sundowner Experience, and then help groom them with a brush-down before they go to bed for the night.
Full-day Bigfoot Experience - Be an Elephant Handler for a Day: 07h30 - 16h00, 7 days a week. Roll up your sleeves, assist with cleaning their shelters, provide feeding during the day, ensure they have enough water to roll in the mud, and in the late afternoon help prepare their beds for a good night’s rest. Included in your day is an Interaction program with one of the groups as well as an informative workbook. Includes refreshments, early morning muffin, and lunch.
Half-day Bigfoot Experience - Be an Elephant Handler for a 1/2 day: 07h30 - 12h00; After early morning refreshments, help to groom our elephants, and then learn about the care, management, behaviour, and husbandry of Kasper and Kitso.

Contact: Elephant Sanctuary Hazyview

Casa do Sol, R536, Sabie Road, Hazyview
GPS Coordinates:
Email:hazyview@elephantsanctuary.co.za
Telephone: +27 (0)13 737 6609

www.hazyview.elephantsanctuary.co.za

Elephant Sanctuary: Plettenberg Bay

Elephant Programmes: Guests are guided on foot through The Elephant Sanctuary by guides who provide in-depth information and insight into African elephants. Elephant food included in all tour prices

Walk Trunk-in-hand with Elephants: approximately 1 hour. Meet the elephants and tour the Sanctuary and our Elephant Night Shelter. Touch, interact, and walk trunk-in-hand with the elephants.
Full Elephant Experience Tour: approximately 75 minutes. Learn about, touch, feed, interact, and walk hand-in-trunk with our elephants.
Elephant Brush-down Experience: Duration: 90 minutes; Booking essential. Help with grooming and brushing-down before or after your full Elephant Experience (early morning and late afternoon tours only).
Elephant Keeper for a Day: 07h30 - 17h00, weekdays only: Booking essential. This full-day program focuses on the care, management, behaviour and husbandry of our resident herd of African Elephants.Observe early morning elephant exercises, help in activities like cleaning and feeding, learn how to identify the individual features of the various members of the herd, etc. Tour price includes your workbook and writing pad, refreshments and lunch, and your Certificate of Participation
Half-day Elephant Keeper Program: Weekdays only. Choose either morning or afternoon session

Accommodation: Elephant Country Guesthouse - luxury 6-room bed & breakfast guest house at the Elephant Sanctuary, Plettenberg Bay. Please visit www.elephantcountryguesthouse.co.za

Contact: Elephant Sanctuary, Plettenberg Bay

Animal Alley, The Crags, off the N2 near Natures Valley (next to Monkeyland)
GPS Coordinates:
Email: plett@elephantsanctuary.co.za
Telephone: +27 (0)74 828 8877

www.plettenbergbay.elephantsanctuary.co.za

Research

Elephant Sanctuary is proudly associated with these research papers and articles:

Animal-visitor interactions: Ethical Reasoning and Participatory Approach Towards Achieving Regulatory Processes For Animal- Visitor Interactions (AVI) In South Africa: ECASA’s response to the call by the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, for submissions to a High-Level Panel constituted to review policies, legislation, breeding, hunting, trading, and management of elephants, lions, leopards, and rhinoceroses in captivity. Published: June, 2020. Download this report here (pdf, 850 kb)