What projects does Wildlife SOS plan to use the funds for?

The funds will be used to help more elephants!  Specifically, we intend to use the funds to help expand our Elephant Conservation Center Hospital campus in Mathura, India.  Expanding this facility will help us get to our long term goal of helping the captive elephants of India – through research and training as well as caring for more elephants at our facility.   For more information on this campaign, you can go to: https://wildlifesos.org/building-a-future-for-indias-elephants/

What have been some major milestones of Wildlife SOS since its formation?  

Wildlife SOS was formed in 1995 by a small group of individuals determined to make a difference for wildlife.  Since the formation, Wildlife SOS has eradicated the hundreds year old cruel practice of ‘dancing bears’.  A feat that no one but our founders thought was possible when we first began.  Over the course of 7 years, 620 Sloth bears were rescued and brought to our sanctuaries for lifetime care.  Not only were the animals helped, but Wildlife SOS also helped the families of those who gave up the bears with training and seed money they needed to create new sustainable livelihoods that don’t involve wildlife.  This kind of holistic approach to conservation and protection is key to our success.  Take a look at some of the sloth bears enjoying their enrichment toys in the video below.

In 2010, we rescued our first captive elephant, Champa.  Champa was being used as a begging elephant and was weary from walking the hot tarmac roads and more and more miserable as her health deteriorated.  She lived for only a year under our care – where she got to enjoy a life free from working and got a chance to be an elephant.  Champa inspired our work for the elephants and to date we have rescued over 40  elephants, from a life of torture and abuse.  This includes the famous elephant- Raju, who is known as the elephant who cried when he was rescued. 

In 2018, Wildlife SOS established India’s very first Elephant Hospital. This was truly a historic milestone for injured and ailing elephants throughout India, who can now get the care and love they need in a state-of-the-art facility. 

What are Wildlife SOS’s long-term goals and future missions?

In addition to caring for the hundreds of animals at our sanctuaries and rescuing, rehabbing and releasing wildlife – one of our main areas of focus is helping the Asian elephants in India – both wild and captive.   

Specifically, our goals are to:

1)  Expand our rescue center for elephants to be able to accommodate 50 more elephants.  

2)  End elephant riding by tourists 

3)  Expand our wild elephant conservation project to a larger region of India to protect larger populations from being captured or killed.  

For more information about Wildlife SOS, check out wildlifesos.org or contact them at [email protected].