Visit the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center to meet rescued elephants, learn their stories, and even accompany them on evening walks.
I could smell the musty scent of the red earth. There was no breeze and it was a few hours before sunset. With every step that Maya and Phoolkali took, small fragments of earth flew up leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
The dust settled on my clothes, my skin, my hair. I walked beside Maya, patting her trunk with the palm of my hand gently. She was tall and statuesque, one of the most friendly and photogenic elephants at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center (ECCC) in Mathura.
My child, Elijah, flanked her other side, feeding her bananas every few steps. At one point, Maya stepped off the path as if intending to go a different way. Elijah gently guided her back, tempting her with her favorite treats.
“A mahout-in-training,” proclaimed the mahout who accompanied and filmed us while walking backward, which was quite a feat.
Phoolkali, the other elephant, was a few steps behind us. We walked for almost an hour. The elephants needed their evening exercise. It was tiring, yet exhilarating.
It was nothing less than a privilege and humbling, to have walked beside these majestic beings and connected with them in a way that not many humans experience.
A natural connection, not forced. Born of mutual respect, not pain or fear. In an environment where they were loved and cherished, by people who had rescued them from horrific circumstances and given them the care they deserved.
No more would they have to take humans on rides, suffer undignified performances in a circus, be prodded with bullhooks, imprisoned in chains, or forced to stand in solitary confinement, deprived of the company of other friendly elephants, living their lives in pain and neglect.
At the ECCC, their physical and emotional scars can heal at last. They are lovingly bathed, fed their favorite treats, smell the sweet scent of freedom, and enjoy the company of a herd of friendly elephants in huge pens (to keep them from wandering off to the human settlements nearby).
They can sleep on the soft earth, play in a pool built just for them, and live a life of comfort and dignity.
Table of Contents
Why I Wanted To Visit Wildlife SOS
I first heard about the organization when I watched its co-founder, Kartick Satyanaran’s TED Talk on how Wildlife SOS launched and successfully implemented a campaign to rescue every “dancing” bear in India.
I grew up in India at a time when we would, quite often, see dancing bears on the roads and never think twice about how much torture and suffering they must have endured becoming a source of entertainment for us ignorant humans.
So, I was touched by the efforts that Wildlife SOS had made to put an end to this cruel, centuries-old practice. Even better, they achieved this without punishing the practitioners – the Kalandar community – and instead, helped them find alternative sources of livelihood via the Kalandar Rehabilitation Program.
I started donating a small amount to Wildlife SOS every month – my way of assuaging the guilt I felt about the cruelty with which my species had treated these blameless creatures for centuries.
I remember visiting circuses that exhibited wild animals as a child and felt ashamed, even though I was a child and knew no better. According to The Dodo, there are around 3,500 captive elephants in India, and most are used for elephant rides by Western tourists.
They are kept in deplorable conditions: Walking on hot, tar roads. Trained with spiked chains and “ankush” (bullhooks). No veterinary care. Dehydration, cracked feet, and abscesses. Being shackled for long periods in the heat.
But, when you know better, you do better. In the internet era, there’s no excuse for ignorance. Animal cruelty is a complete no-no today.
We’re part of a more aware and enlightened society than our grandparents, and it’s up to us to undo some of the damage and cruel practices that continue today in some parts of the world.
If you love elephants, please refuse to ride them or watch them perform!
Getting To The ECCC
It was in November 2016 that we visited the ECCC at Mathura, about 57 kilometers from Agra. As a visitor, Wildlife SOS can help arrange transport to and from Agra, as long as you let them know in advance.
Of course, you must pay for it. As a charitable organization, they cannot offer freebies. They also provide accommodation in Agra, but I learned that only after I’d booked my trip.
At the ECCC, visitors meet the elephants, learn their stories and the circumstances they were rescued from, help with bathing them, and, like we did, accompany them on their evening walk.
When I followed Wildlife SOS on Facebook, I read about their efforts to rescue every circus elephant in India, and to create a “Field Of Dreams.”
This large swathe of land nearby has a wide river flowing through it and is surrounded by thickets and trees where every elephant can roam freely and live in as natural an environment as possible.
However, the funding to purchase the land was lacking.
Meeting The Elephants
As we entered, we could see the elephants in their enclosures. I knew some of the names they were given – Suzy, Sita, Rhea, Peanut, Coconut, Lakhi, Asha, and Raju – from the Wildlife SOS Facebook page.
They already felt like familiar friends, but I would get to know them better.
We met Chanchal, who was rescued in June 2012, after she got into a terrible road accident in Noida. She was severely injured with bruises on her body and a cut on her right knee.
She was unable to bend one knee possibly due to a ligament tear. Initially, she would keep to herself and wouldn’t even interact with the other elephants.
It took her approximately a year to get over her traumatic experience as a begging elephant and get comfortable with her newfound freedom.
Chanchal means “mischievous” and she certainly lives up to her name with her daily antics, winning hearts every day. Around 21 years old, she loves playing in the water and throwing mud on herself.
Over the years, she has formed a close bond with another Ellie called Bijli and together they enjoy munching on fruits and treats and going on long walks around the center.
While we watched the mahouts lovingly bathe and scrub down Chanchal, Maya came to inspect me with her trunk.
Maya was rescued in November 2010, from a circus where she was forced to work for entertainment and then chained at the end of the day.
When she first arrived at ECCC, Maya was really underfed and withdrawn. Possibly the most heart-warming part of Maya’s recovery was her socialization with Phoolkali.
Today, 42-year-old Maya is a happy and healthy elephant, enjoying her new life of freedom. She has a peaceful demeanor that can put anyone near her at ease and is best friends with the equally regal Phoolkali.
We also met Sita, rescued in November 2015 after nearly five decades in captivity. She was riddled with severe and chronic ailments, such as painfully damaged footpads and cuticles with severe abscesses, and to make it worse, severe psychological trauma.
Sita was nearly 60 years old and her pitiable condition was a testament to her years of mishandling and improper care.
Her preliminary veterinary assessment on arrival at ECCC showed that she was suffering from a condition known as ankylosis in the joints of both her forelimbs, one of which had incurred a fracture during her time in captivity, and that had never been allowed to heal.
Because of these problems, she couldn’t lie down or rest properly for over a year. At the ECCC, Sita had a chance to ease the stress on her legs by lounging in the pool and getting regular pedicures and foot care.
When we met her, she was enjoying a foot bath with Epsom salts and intensive treatment for her feet.
In April 2017, Sita passed away. I was glad to have met her and know she received the love and care she deserved in her senior years.
Most of the elephants we saw, in fact, had severe injuries when they came to the ECCC and were still being treated for all sorts of problems, the most common being abscesses in their feet after being forced to stand on hard ground without any rest for long periods, or from walking on hot, tar roads.
We also met Rhea, a former circus elephant trapped with Sita and another elephant called Mia, under miserable conditions – a sisterhood strengthened by their shared experiences of pain. They were reunited at the ECCC in April 2016, and Rhea began her journey to recovery.
54-year-old Rhea was riddled with ailments. Her feet were in atrocious condition, with deep painful cracks running through her swollen soles. Her nails were cracked and her cuticles overgrown, evidence of the neglect she had been subjected to all those years.
In the days since her rescue, Rhea’s spirit won the hearts of everyone at ECCC, and she slowly began making friends with her keepers and the other elephants. She is especially fond of her neighbors, Maya and Phoolkali, and often stands squeaking at them while eating her meal of green fodder.
But the ellies that stole my heart were Peanut and Coconut, the babies of the “nut herd”, who we caught munching on their sugarcane.
In April 2015, Wildlife SOS rescued four elephants from a circus in Maharashtra. Called Macadamia, Walnut, Coconut, and Peanut, the “nut herd” had suffered for years as performing elephants.
When they were not being exploited for the amusement of the circus audience, they were made to spend long hours standing in filth and restrained painfully by tight ropes around their legs.
Today, 8-year-old Peanut and 14-year-old Coconut have made remarkable progress. Both of them are absolute delights to watch as they follow the other big elephants around the facility, occasionally poking at them playfully with their trunks.
They are part of Asha’s adoptive herd and, being the youngest, receive immense love and care from the older elephants. Peanut loves keeping everyone on their toes with her energy and excitement. She runs around, tosses about her tire, and spends hours playing in the pool.
Coconut spends her time gorging on delicious fruit treats, playing with hanging enrichment feeders, going on long walks, and lounging in her pool with Peanut.
The Agra Bear Rescue Facility
After a rewarding afternoon watching the mahouts bathe and feed the elephants, we visited Wildlife SOS’s Agra Bear Rescue Facility, the largest Sloth Bear Rescue Facility in the world.
Established in 1999, it currently houses around 200 sloth bears, and other species of wildlife, in large forested enclosures with ponds and shady trees. You can contact Wildlife SOS for a personal guided experience at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility.
Wildlife SOS currently has over 20 elephants, 300 bears, and 30 leopards that depend on them daily. Having donors gives them the confidence to know that they can feed them and meet their medical needs well into the future. Donate to Wildlife SOS and support their work.
In February 2025, Wildlife SOS rescued Manu, a 58-year-old blind and emaciated elephant, after he was found collapsed in Uttar Pradesh. Suffering from dehydration, chronic wounds, and unhealed fractures, he was transported 700 km to the Elephant Hospital in Mathura for urgent care.
Veterinarians stabilized him with IV fluids, pain management, and laser therapy. He stood with crane support, received a fruit feast, and began intensive treatment. Wildlife SOS aims to rescue 300 begging elephants by 2030.
Volunteering With Wildlife SOS
Volunteer with Wildlife SOS for the unique opportunity to work alongside these incredible animals and those who care for them. You’ll spend a few days putting up hammocks and enrichments for the bears, visiting with the elephants, and helping with their feeding or bathing.
In addition, you’ll get to stay in a beautiful area of the sanctuary, and the payments for your stay and accommodation go directly to the Centre, providing critical funding for future work.
Imagine the satisfaction of knowing that you’re helping to make a positive impact. What more could a responsible tourist ask for?
Book a tour:
- Wildlife SOS Visit with One-Way Transfer from Agra to Delhi
- From Agra Private Transfers to Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation
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What an informative post. I really enjoyed how detailed it was and that you included videos and organizations that help conserve wildlife. I know I wasn’t educated when I first visited Thailand and went to see elephants. Now that I’m educated on that subject it is important for tourists to do educate themselves as well. I def want to volunteer and experience an elephant sanctuary and volunteer someday
Glad you found it educational and informative. Educating tourists is the key to avoiding cruelty, abuse and practising compassion in animal tourism.
Nice place. I would love to shoot a documentary about how the animals are treated there. Somehow prefer such places to regular sights.
Alexander, I’m sure they will be very happy to have you shoot a documentary. It will help them raise funds to care for the elephants.
Such magnificent animals! It’s good to know that these organizations exist and perform a great task for all these misfortunate animals by caring and loving them.
Yes, Chris. Organisations like Wildlife SOS are very much needed today.
What a beautiful experience to share with your child and well done for supporting such a worthy cause. I have no doubt it was such a humbling experience and to think they will now lead a much better life, free of us humans taking advantage of them. Gorgeous post!
Thank you, Amy. My child also loves animals and was very happy with the experience. I think the key to change is educating ourselves and our children about these magnificent creatures.
I think these rescue organisations are a small but good step in counteracting the cruelty people inflict on animals. While these magnificent animal’s stories are sad, it is good to see that they may overcome the abuse and become ‘happy’.
Yes, Rhonda, they play a big part in the rehabilitation of these elephants and in giving them a near normal life, after everything they have been through.
This is a wonderfully detailed post and your love for animals clearly shines through everything you say. I can relate to the bear / monkey street performance experiences that you recount. But we were kids then. I agree… In the internet era, there’s no excuse for ignorance.
Thanks, Punita. Yes, we were just kids when we used to watch the dancing bears perform. Thank goodness we’re older and wiser now. 🙂
Walking, feeding and spending some time with the elephants is such an awesome experience. I agree with Punita, your love of animals just shines through this post.
Thank you, Anwesha. I hope you get to visit Wildlife SOS someday.
The horrifying things that happen to animals in some parts of the world is so so sad. I am glad you found this place that help those poor animals. It must have been a great experience. Thanks for sharing this and raising awareness.
Yes, Katie. It was very memorable and moving.
I’m glad Wildlife SOS exists. I always feel pity how lots of animals are treated on earth and to see how caring they are to the elephants makes me feel much better. There should be definitely more organisations like this one. Thank you so much for sharing all the detailed information and especially for the videos. They give another good impression!
There are quite a few organisations like Wildlife SOS that rescue and rehabilitate elephants, like Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya.
One of my travel goals is to help the environment and wildlife. I would love to go here. I’m saving to Pinterest to refer to later!
Wonderful, Marquita. Do consider volunteering with them.
Great article on the work on Wildlife SOSorganization in Mathura, Utter Pradesh, India. Even though I went to Mathura and Agra, a couple of years back, I never knew about this organization , not its activities. Thank you for letting the world know of their good work,
I hope you get a chance to visit them the next time you go, George.
Looks like you had a lot of fun! I haven’t been in Utter Pradesh but maybe next time. Love your photography too.
Yes, it was a wonderful experience, Anna. Glad you liked the photos.
Glad that there are elephant sanctuary that protects and take care for these elephants. I wish to visit at least one sanctuary soon.
You can visit Wildlife SOS in India, Elephant Nature Park and Elephant Hills in Thailand and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. There are more sanctuaries but I don’t know of them all.
This is interesting. I love seeing elephants in the wild, when I go on safaris. They’re supposed to be in the wild, not in temples or tourist spots… Its disheartening! I’m really glad to see this place where such animals are rescued and loved! Hats off to Kartick!
Yes, Kartick is doing wonderful work and is making a real difference in the lives of these animals.