Elephant Whispers, Hazyview

Join us for an enlightening interactive elephant experience; meet our five magnificent African elephants and learn about their extraordinary behaviour and physiology, observing first-hand how the elephants have developed trust in the kindness and care they receive from the team.

Visitors to the Centre experience life-changing moments when they encounter the elephants, the Elephant Whispers Team work hard to translate this into an understanding of the need for long-term, sustainable wildlife conservation, and elephant conservation in particular.

Elephant interactions

We extend a warm and welcoming invitation to come meet our gentle elephants; engage with them, learn about their complex family structure and unique physiology and simply enjoy the privilege of spending time with them. We offer various activities to cater for different ages, interests and time available. Please note that bookings are necessary, as we don’t offer all the activities every day to ensure that the elephants have plenty of rest, relaxation and feeding time.

• Early Morning Wake-Up, Interaction and Elephant Back Ride: Meet at sunrise at the elephant stables. Enjoy the very special treat of helping brush down the elephant. Relax atop one of the elephants while you enjoy a typical elephant ramble; meandering down shady paths, enjoying regular stops for elephant breakfast feasting. Enjoy hot beverages and fresh muffins on our deck overlooking the Sabi valley. 
• Elephant interaction: A wonderful hour of touching, feeding and learning about the elephants and Elephant Whispers. Experiencing the remarkable trust that has developed through gentle interaction.
• Elephant interaction & walk: Following the interaction, accompany the elephants on a leisurely bush walk.
• Elephant interaction & ride: After spending time interacting with the elephants, enjoy a short ride in their natural environment. 
• Elephant interaction and ride with lunch at Hippo Hollow: after your elephant experience, set off into the African bush on an elephant for wonderful views of the elephant’s home, finishing with a delicious, 3-course lunch at Hippo Hollow Country Estate.
• Sunset interaction, elephant back ride or elephant walk & sundowners: After accompanying the elephant to their stables, toast the setting sun as the elephants settle down for the night.
• Ultimate elephant experience: After your Elephant Interaction,set off into the African bush for a midday elephant ramble; then dine with the elephants (a light picnic spread out for you) and - weather permitting - watch the enjoying the dam and their mud bath. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and your delicious meal in a peaceful setting, while the elephants whisper their secrets to the breeze in the trees around you.
• Half day with an Elephant (begins 07h30; duration 6 ½ hours): an unforgettable morning with the elephants; an in-depth, interactive and educational elephant experience that will stay with you. Meet the elephants as they come out their stables to greet the new day in the early morning light. Join the herd as it goes about its daily activities, 
• Full Day with an Elephant: (begins 07h30; duration 11 hours): Become a welcome member of the Elephant Whispers’ herd for the day, from your bright and early meeting with them (elephant introductions include lots of elephant treats), to getting to know them, to gently working with them and their dedicated caregivers. Later you have the option of ‘rolling up your sleeves’ to prepare the stables to ensure the elephants have a comfortable night’s sleep, and, weather permitting, you could watch them delight in their favourite activity: their mud bath and swim. Your day ends with sundowners at the stables while the elephants settle in for the night.

Child policy: We welcome children of all ages (under adult supervision) for the Elephant Interactions. The minimum age for Walking with the Elephant is 6 years. Children walking must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, and this will be at the discretion of management.The minimum age for riding the elephants is 5 years. Children riding the elephants must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, and this will be at the discretion of management. Children under the age of 12 years qualify for children’s rates.

Contact

• R40 Road (between the turn offs for R 536 to Sabie and the R535 to Graskop), Hazyview, Mpumalanga
• GPS Coordinates: +South -25° 1’ 39.2268” East 31° 7’ 30.9822”
• E-mail: reservations@elephantwhispers.co.za - info@elephantwhispers.co.za
• Telephone: +27 (0)13 737 7876
• Mobile: +27 (0)82 498 4683

www.elephantwhispers.co.za

Research

Elephant Whispers 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)

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