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.

Elephant Research Experience Thailand:
October 1-10 2025

Dive into the heart of Thailand’s Kuiburi National Park and make a real impact on elephant conservation! Join Bring The Elephant Home’s groundbreaking research team and experience the thrill of studying wild Asian elephants up close! As one of our selected research assistants, you’ll track elephants through lush jungles, decode their behaviours, and work alongside expert researchers and local communities. Contribute to a cutting-edge elephant ID system and community-driven conservation projects that transform human-elephant conflict into coexistence.

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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

Podcast Protecting the Wild: Merging Tourism and Conservation in Africa

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Bringing down fences: one year on.

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RAGweek Nijmegen

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Newest video

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  • 🐘🌳Raining Seeds? Africa’s Ancient Seed Dispersal System During field observations in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, we documented elephants targeting mature camelthorn trees (Vachellia erioloba) for their protein-rich pods. When elephants shake these 20-meter giants, hundreds of seeds cascade to the ground, a behavior that drives one of Africa’s most effective seed dispersal mechanisms. The data tells a remarkable story: - Seeds travel 15-50km through elephant digestive systems! - Germination rates increase 3x after gut passage. - 60% of seeds escape beetle predation when dispersed. - Each adult elephant processes 150-300kg of vegetation daily. The camelthorn anchors dryland ecosystems across southern Africa. Its deep taproot (up to 60m) accesses groundwater in regions receiving just 40-650mm annual rainfall. The tree fixes atmospheric nitrogen, enriching soils that support 65+ bird species and provide critical dry season browse for ungulates. This coevolved relationship shapes entire landscapes. Elephant-dispersed camelthorns create resource islands, shade patches that lower ground temperature by 15°C and concentrate nutrients, enabling establishment of other plant species. In an era of habitat fragmentation, understanding these ecological partnerships becomes critical for conservation planning. #WildlifeResearch #SeedDispersal #ElephantEcology #Hwange #ConservationScience #AfricanSavanna #FieldResearch
  • 🐘We were thrilled to host @savetheelephants at our Bring The Elephant Home field station in Kuiburi, Thailand! The visit sparked insightful conversations and meaningful exchanges on strategies to address human-elephant coexistence, bridging experiences across continents from Africa to Asia. Check out Save the Elephants’ valuable Human-Elephant Coexistence (HEC) Toolbox—a fantastic resource packed with practical solutions, community insights, and innovative ideas for coexistence. Together, we’re stronger for elephants and the communities who live alongside them. 🌱🤝🐘 Learn more about the toolkit here 👉www.savetheelephants.org #HumanElephantCoexistence #ConservationCollaboration #Kuiburi #SaveTheElephants #BringTheElephantHome
  • 🎥 Big news! Bring The Elephant Home and @elephantreintegrationtrust are collaborating on creating an Elephant Rewilding Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Why it matters •⁠ ⁠Autonomy: A place for South Africa’s captive elephants to roam wild again. •⁠ ⁠Science: A living lab for cutting-edge rewilding research. •⁠ ⁠Communities: Local jobs, eco-education, and reconnection to wild lands. •⁠ Ethics: Puts South Africa on the path to ending elephants in entertainment. 🎬 Watch our first trailer and share to help make it real. https://youtu.be/dGnTj4e0Rg4 Learn more ➜ https://rewildingelephants.org/ #ElephantFreedom #RewildingReserve #EndCaptivity #EasternCape #Conservation #Rewilding
  • 🌿🐘Time is running out to apply! Join us for our next Thailand Research Experience! Hear what’s it’s like to become a Research Assistant with Bring The Elephant Home and spend 10 immersive days tracking wild elephants, analyzing behavior, and supporting community-led conservation in Kuiburi! 🔍What you’ll do: - Monitor and identify wild elephants 🐘 - Analyze camera trap data and social dynamics - Collaborate with local stakeholders on coexistence strategies - Support sustainable livelihoods & create real impact 📢Spaces are limited. Apply now and help protect elephants where it matters most. 👉 www.BTEH.org 📩 Questions? Reach out to brooke@bteh.org #ElephantConservation #ThailandWildlife #VolunteerAbroad #FieldworkOpportunity #CommunityConservation #AsianElephants #ResearchAbroad #BTEH #ConservationTravel #Ecotourism #ProtectWildlife
  • 🐘 Do Ivory Bans Really Work? A recent study analyzing elephant poaching trends from 2003 to 2022 sheds new light on this crucial question. Researchers found that after the controversial 2008 ivory sale to China and Japan, illegal elephant killings in Africa surged dramatically, reaching peak levels between 2009 and 2014. The good news: following the introduction of strict domestic ivory trade bans in major markets like China and the United States after 2015, elephant poaching significantly declined. The study highlights that international trade bans alone aren’t enough. Effective protection comes from strong national policies that reduce consumer demand and close loopholes exploited by wildlife traffickers. The takeaway? Ivory bans CAN save elephants—but only when paired with sustained enforcement and global cooperation. 🌍✊ Let’s keep pushing for policies that protect elephants and end the ivory trade for good. Read the full study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03658 #SaveElephants #WildlifeConservation #ResearchForConservation #ElephantProtection #ivorytrade
  • 🐘🇹🇭— Only 3 Months Away! Join our next Elephant Research Experience in Thailand, a unique 10-day adventure in Kuiburi National Park, where you’ll actively contribute to cutting-edge elephant conservation research and community-driven coexistence projects. 📍 Where: Kuiburi National Park, Thailand 🗓 When: October 1–10, 2025 💶 Cost: 2,000 EUR / 2,300 USD (fundraising support available) 🔍 You’ll get hands-on experience: - Tracking and identifying wild Asian elephants - Recording and analyzing elephant behavior - Reviewing camera-trap footage - Supporting community-based conservation Spots are filling quickly—apply today and join us for a one in a lifetime experience! 👉 Apply here: www.bteh.org Questions? Email brooke@bteh.org #ElephantConservation #WildlifeResearch #Thailand #ApplyNow #BringTheElephantHome #elephantresesrch #wildliferesearch #humanelephantcoexistence #conservation #volunteerabroad #goabroad