Events & Outreach

Friends of Elephants is a very special collaboration between almost all active wildlife NGOs in the South Indian region aimed to create awareness amongst the general public.

Elephants are held in captivity simply because there is a demand to see them in temple and participating in festivities. This demand exists because the cruelty that these animals are subject to is well concealed and largely unknown.

Taming a wild animal for tricks and stunts is not possible without inflicting pain on the animal and forcing him to perform out of fear of non-performance.  The existing obsession amongst the masses to see an elephant decorated for a procession or blessing devotees in a temple needs to wear off so that change can take over.

Friends of Elephants is an informal group of animal welfare activists who get together to plan and execute one awareness program every month, each program focusing and highlighting just one aspect of the fascinating Asian Elephant. Themes have covered a range of topics, all the way from elephants in captivity to their counterparts in the wild, to help the public see the difference and appreciate the latter. A full introduction to Friends of Elephants here. 

Friends of Elephants Newsletter – Volume 1

Friends of Elephants Newsletter – Volume 2 

Glimpses from past events: