We need to act now

BTEH is dedicated to the well-being and survival of African and Asian elephants, fostering socio-ecological resilience in communities seeking human-elephant coexistence, and striving for a world where both elephants and people can thrive. Our community-based conservation approach, developed since BTEH’s founding in 2004, emphasises shared decision-making, sustainability, equality, and partnerships. Through our projects, we promote evidence-based solutions that achieve human-elephant coexistence through range expansion, habitat restoration and supporting farmers in elephant-friendly livelihoods and land use, generating benefits for people, elephants and the ecosystems they share.

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For the future of elephants!

Elephants are a keystone species in the ecosystems they are part of. Elephants disperse seeds, maintain grasslands and find water, all crucial for the survival of other species.

The mission of Bring The Elephant Home is to increase the chances of survival for elephants
in the wild and strive towards a
harmonious world where both humans and elephants can thrive, mutually benefiting from
coexistence.

Antoinette van de Water – founder BTEH

We need your help

We always welcome partners, volunteers, donors and sponsors for our projects. Please consider supporting our activities in Asia or Africa by making a donation. You can follow the latest news here.

Meet the team

Bring The Elephant Home is active on three continents. There is a lot of work to do for our various projects around the world, and we help to realise our ambitious plans is always welcome! More info: support@bteh.org. Meet the team!

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Latest news

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New Research: How Regulation Can Improve Wildlife Tourism for Elephants

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Research South Africa: 14-24 September 2026

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Volunteer Expedition: South Africa April 2026

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Newest video

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  • We are proud to share the final chapter of Brooke Friswold's PhD!🐘 While many reserves in South Africa are fenced off to preserve and manage elephants within, little research has been done on the effects of fencing and fence removal on the well-being of elephants. This study conducted at @kariega.game.reserve combined Faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) analyses, GPS collar data, Focal behavioural observations and NDVI vegetation assesments, and we found that fence removal: • Increased ranging flexibility and inter-herd overlap • Reduced stress-related biomarkers • Redistributed browsing pressure across the landscape • Supported more natural movement and behavioural patterns without disproportionate vegetation degradation • Supported ecosystem resilience The paper highlights the value of landscape connectivitiy for elephant well being. Read the paper via the link in bio! #ElephantResearch #ElephantConservation #ElephantWellbeing #conservationscience
  • Want to have an unforgettable experience and contribute to elephant conservation? This is your chance! Join our next Elephant Research Experience from 14–24 September 2026 at Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa! 🐘 You will help our team of elephant researchers with: • Elephant behaviour and social dynamics • Individual elephant identification • Conservation research and study design This program is open to people from all fields and levels of experience, from students and professionals to anyone passionate about wildlife and conservation. Spaces are limited! 📩 Comment “SOUTH AFRICA” to receive the program guide 📅 Or send us a DM to book a 15-minute call with a researcher to learn more #ElephantResearch #WildElephants #FieldResearch #ConservationInAction #SouthAfrica
  • Want to have a unforgettable experience and contribute to elephant conservation? This is your chance! Join our Elephant Research Experience from Nov 17-27, 2026 in Kuiburi, Thailand!🐘📋 You will help our team of elephant researchers with: • Elephant behaviour and social dynamics • Individual elephant identification • Human-elephant coexistence • Wildlife monitoring and conservation research No scientific background is required. This program is open to people from all fields and levels of experience, from students and professionals to anyone passionate about wildlife and conservation. Spaces are limited! 📩 Comment “THAILAND” to receive the program guide 📅 Or send us a DM to book a 15-minute call with a researcher to learn more #elephants #wildlife #thailand #conservation #research
  • Observing wild elephants is gaining popularity as an ethical wildlife tourism activity. When done responsibly, it can bring important benefits by supporting conservation, creating local livelihood opportunities, and inspiring people to care about elephants. However, it can still negatively affect wild elephant welfare when certain boundaries are crossed. We are proud to share new findings from PhD researcher Brooke Friswold and our team at Bring The Elephant Home, now published in Ecology & Evolution. The study identifies key thresholds and offers evidence-based guidelines to support ethical wild elephant viewing. Read more about Brooke’s findings, our scientific paper, and the wild elephant viewing guidelines in our newest post. Link in bio! #ElephantResearch #ElephantConservation #ElephantWellbeing #conservationscience
  • Four years of research. Countless hours in the field. Supported by dozens of research volunteers. And this week, one emotional final step. 🐘 We successfully removed the GPS collars from the elephants who helped us gather vital data for our study, led by principal investigator and PhD researcher Brooke Friswold. The research shows that fence removal enhances elephant movement and promotes behavioural, physiological, and ecological functioning. Collar removal is a sensitive procedure, but thanks to the professional and compassionate teams from @kariega.game.reserve, @kariega_foundation, @williamfowlds, pilot @alex.grant.soule, and Bring The Elephant Home, everything went smoothly and without complications. The best moment: as soon as the collars were removed, the elephants got up, walked off, and rejoined their herd. 💚 We are incredibly grateful to everyone involved, to the beautiful Kariega Game Reserve, and most of all to the elephants. Their data now supports better decisions for elephant well-being across elephant range countries in Africa and Asia. Keep an eye out: the scientific paper will be published in the next few days! Many thanks to Sam Chevallier of @keystones_expedition and @williamfowlds for the footage. 🎥 #ElephantResearch #ElephantConservation #ElephantWellbeing #ConservationScience
  • BTEH met with representatives from Kui Buri National Park and WWF Thailand to discuss future collaboration to collect wildlife detection data outside the park through a unified platform, thereby strengthening the smart early warning system. As part of this initiative, BTEH will test the use of @earthrangertech for data collection in the area and is arranging several workshops later this year with experts from Eco Exist Society. These workshops will give rangers and community members hands-on experience in reporting wildlife detections through the platform. This could help the national park improve patrol planning and provide local conservation organisations with broader data to inform research and develop more effective solutions to human–wildlife conflict. #KuiBuriNationalPark #WWFThailand #EarthRanger #HumanElephantCoexistence #EarlyWarningSystem #CommunityConservation #ConservationTechnology #AsianElephants