Today, on World Elephant Day (August 12), The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is excited to host a video interview with one of our international partners, Wildlife SOS. The Elephant Sanctuary began here in Tennessee in 1995, and Wildlife SOS was established the same year across the globe in India. We are both celebrating 30th anniversaries!
To mark this shared milestone, The Sanctuary's Education Manager, Laura Roddy, filmed a series of questions with Shivam Rai, Elephant Project Head Coordinator at Wildlife SOS. Shivam is spending two weeks in Tennessee working alongside Sanctuary Staff, learning more about our programs in education, public engagement, and elephant husbandry, and sharing his insights from the field.
World Elephant Day is a global day of recognition and action for the protection and preservation of elephants worldwide. It’s a time to elevate awareness of the challenges elephants face—from habitat loss to exploitation—and to celebrate solutions rooted in empathy, science, and care.
The Sanctuary’s International Partners Program provides funding to organizations across Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe working to improve elephant conservation and welfare. You can view the recently announced full list here. Wildlife SOS, based in India, is one of these key partners.
Wildlife SOS has been a leader in elephant and animal conservation in India since 1995. In addition to rescuing and caring for elephants used in tourism and street begging, their team works closely with India’s Forest Department to enforce wildlife protection, anti-poaching, and anti-trafficking laws. More than 30 elephants now live at their Elephant Conservation and Care Centre, where expert teams provide specialized treatment for chronic injuries and emergency care—with the help of mobile medical units, a dedicated elephant ambulance, and on-the-ground rescue teams.
With support from The Elephant Sanctuary, Wildlife SOS operates a mobile medical program to reach and treat captive begging elephants across India, bringing urgently needed veterinary care directly to elephants in distress.
A former civil engineer turned elephant advocate, Shivam Rai now leads the care and recovery of elephants at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Mathura, India. Shivam has helped guide thousands of visitors—especially young people—toward greater empathy and understanding for elephants.
We’re honored to work in partnership with organizations like Wildlife SOS, which share our belief in conservation and a better world for all elephants.
Watch the full interview here and help us celebrate a vision of coexistence, compassion, and care—for elephants everywhere.