A growing body of scientific evidence reveals that captivity fails to meet the most basic physical, social, and psychological needs of elephants. As highly intelligent, socially complex beings, elephants suffer profoundly when deprived of the conditions in which they naturally thrive. In response to this reality, in 2011 we wrote Sanctuary for Elephants – Overall Principles, defining sanctuary for captive elephants as a rigorous, welfare-centered commitment to restoring dignity, wellbeing, and the fullest possible expression of an elephant’s natural life. Concurrently, we began efforts to establish an elephant sanctuary in South America. The result was Santuário de Elefantes Brasil.
ElephantVoices was involved in the creation and establishment of Santuário de Elefantes Brasil, the first elephant sanctuary in Latin America. In 2010, we worked alongside Brazilian partners, Junia Machado and others, to put Elephant Sanctuary Principles to work — advancing protections for captive elephants and working toward the establishment of a sanctuary-based future for elephants across South America. In 2013, ElephantVoices joined forces with Scott and Kat Blais — pioneers in elephant sanctuary development — to help turn this vision into reality. Together we co-founded Global Sanctuary for Elephants and Santuário de Elefantes Brasil (SEB) shaping its vision, securing the sanctuary’s establishment, and advocating for a sanctuary-based future for elephants retired from circuses and inadequate zoo conditions. Today, under the direction of Scott and Kat SEB is thriving, providing rescued elephants with the space, habitat, and the care they need to recover physically and emotionally and live as elephants once again.
This document outlines ElephantVoices’ vision of true sanctuary: safe, compassionate refuge designed around the individual needs, social lives, and natural behaviors of elephants. It offers guiding principles for those seeking to provide healing, dignity, and the fullest possible life for elephants in human care.
The largest video and audio library of elephant behaviors.