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Nestled in the Magaliesberg Mountains, only one hour from Johannesburg and Pretoria, The Elephant Sanctuary at Hartbeespoort Dam lies in a malaria-free area. It is surrounded by natural indigenous bush and is home to impala, klipspringer, baboons, porcupine, caracal, leopard, a host of other small mammals, 350 bird species and, of course, five magnificent African Elephants.
The Elephant Sanctuary group has three operations – Hartbeespoort Dam near Pretoria and just outside Gauteng, Plettenberg Bay in the Garden Route and Hazyview in the Lowveld.
The Elephant Sanctuary provides a “halfway house” for young African elephants in need of a temporary home. It is the only operation in South Africa that provides for elephants in this way. It is our vision to release all the elephants into an environment where they can be more independent once they are older.
The Elephant Sanctuary hosts a unique and fully guided educational program that sets itself apart from anything else that South Africa has on offer in terms of elephant interaction and touching elephants. Guest numbers are limited to ensure personal attention and maximum elephant interaction for each guest, making this a truly memorable and enriching experience.
Visitors can learn more about elephant habits, behaviour, different personalities and anatomy through up-close and personal interaction. You get an opportunity to touch, feed and even walk trunk-in-hand with these magnificent animals.
The Elephant Sanctuary’s elephant walk is unique because you don’t just walk with or alongside the animals – you actually walk trunk-in-hand with them. Now imagine walking hand-in-hand with a child or loved one, then remind yourself that in this case the other hand is a trunk!
The main focus of The Elephant Sanctuary is to educate people about all aspects of elephants and elephant husbandry. If we discuss the elephant’s ear, for example, you will get the opportunity to actually touch one and to get a closer look at the smoothness of the skin on the back of the ear compared to the rough skin on the outside.
We also offer a short elephant-back ride – a privilege historically reserved for kings.
The Elephant Sanctuary’s elephant back riding program is conducted in a controlled environment to make it a safe yet exciting experience. Elephant rides are done bare back to enhance your contact with the animal and lasts ten to fifteen minutes. Our experience show that a 10 to 15 minute elephant back ride is long enough to fully experience the unique motion and feeling you get when riding on the back of an elephant.
The safety of our guests is of paramount importance. We want our guests to have an educational experience where they learn first-hand through touch, sight, smell and simply being close to the elephants. The program teaches our guests a broader and better understanding of elephants and their conservation, along with the animals’ dynamics and anatomy. We also share with guests our knowledge on the history and future of elephants in Africa.
The Elephant Sanctuary Hartebeestpoort Dam is the only one of the three sanctuaries that offers luxury en-suite accommodation for guests who would like to overnight.
Other than what’s on offer at the sanctuary, there are plenty of other activities nearby, including tree-top canopy slides, horse riding, quad bikes, cycling, walking trails and wine tasting.
Hartbeespoort Dam – an experience for life!
Phone Number: +27 (12) 258 0423
Alternative: +27 74 496 6447
Website : www.elephantsanctuary.co.za
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South Africa
Namibia
Botswana
Tanzania
Zambia
Kenya
