Evergreen Explorer Magazine

No trip to Africa is complete without seeing the majestic African Elephants, the biggest of the 'Big 5'. We speak to Colleen, from the Elephant Whispers interaction to find out more about their facility. Can you give us a short introduction about Elephant Whispers? Elephant in Africa face challenges from a loss of habitat and poaching, and, knowing we would have to finance their care for the rest of their lives, we opened Elephant Whispers. Apart from wanting to share the incredible experience of being close to an African Elephant and learning about their fascinating behaviour and physiology, Elephant Whispers aims to enlighten the public to the need for long term sustainable conservation practices and spread the conservation message to help save wildlife in Africa and ensure the future safety of elephant. We rescued six African Elephant from a culling operation: four males aged between 21 and 33: Tembo, Shamwari, Medwa and Ziziphus, plus two females: Andile who is 20 and Lindiwe who is 17. If there were sufficient land, our elephants would not be in captivity. In addition, the shocking elephant poaching numbers need to be shared with conservation- minded visitors and those whose influence and ideas may lead to positive change, like South Africa's youth who are tomorrow's conservation leaders. We also sponsor tactile tours for visually impaired people. Those who have been blind their whole life cannot imagine what an elephant looks like so a comprehensive tactile tour of the elephant, from trunk to the tail, makes this possible. Elephant Whispers has also assisted so many people suffering from terminal diseases. The elephant can't heal them, but time spent with the elephant often renews their strength to face ongoing treatment. What can guests expect to see and do when they visit? They will meet six gentle giants and experience a wonderfully interactive tactile lesson on the African elephant. There's nothing better than seeing people gaze deep into an elephant's eyes, touching their skin and smelling their uniquely earthy smell, and being visibly moved and humbled by their experience. Whisperer The Elephant Explorer Magazine | 2

• Cover