Our goals are to advance the study of elephant cognition, communication and social behavior, and to promote the scientifically sound and ethical management and care of elephants. We accomplish these through four pillars: research, conservation, advocacy and the sharing of knowledge.
For more than 50 years, our research has focused on elephant social behavior, communication, and cognition. Long-term studies in Amboseli, Kenya, form the foundation of this work, with additional insights gained in the Maasai Mara and Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Through projects such as The Elephant Ethogram: A Library of African Elephant Behavior — a library describing elephant behavior with nearly 3,000 videos, images and sounds — and the Elephant Calls Database with more than 11,000 records, we are documenting the voices, behaviors, and relationships that reveal the extraordinary intelligence and social complexity of elephants.
Scientific knowledge is the fundamental to effective protection. Our research has shown that elephants are socially complex, self-aware individuals who posses distinct histories, personalities and interests and suffer deeply from loss and trauma. The death of a matriarch, the killing of a mother, or the poaching of an elder with large tusks reverberates through families and threatens the survival of populations. By ensuring that this understanding is incorporated into conservation practices, we work to safeguard elephants both as a species and as individuals, ensuring that their societies remain intact and resilient.
ElephantVoices is committed to being a strong and consistent voice for elephants. We bring science into the public and political arena, speaking out through expert testimony, media engagement, publications, and, when necessary, in court. Our standpoint is clear: every elephant matters, and protecting individuals is essential to protecting the species.
Education is the thread that weaves through everything we do. We share our knowledge through scientific and popular articles, lectures, documentaries, radio interviews and podcasts, school talks, social media, and our open-access databases. By making elephants’ lives visible — and their voices heard — we inspire empathy, respect, and action. Our goal is to help people everywhere understand elephants as intelligent, emotional beings and to motivate global support for their survival.
The largest video and audio library of elephant behaviors.