Elephant Aid International
One World, One Elephant At A Time
Mission
Elephant Aid International (EAI)’s mission is to end the worldwide suffering of elephants by creating innovative approaches to the care and management of elephants in captivity. EAI gives hands-on assistance to improve standards of care; teaches humane methods of training and handling; raises public awareness of the lives and needs of elephants; models new standards of care at its Elephant Refuge North America, where elephants can retire, recover and thrive.
Ruling year
2011
Founder and CEO
Carol Buckley
Main address
PO Box 283
Attapulgus, GA 39815 USA
Formerly known as
International Elephant Aid
EIN
27-2243265
NTEE code
Protection of Endangered Species (D31)
Wildlife Sanctuary/Refuge (D34)
Public, Society Benefit - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C. (W99)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Elephants suffer from the moment they are captured from the wild and in the case of captive born, when they take their first breath. Providing a suitable environment for this mega vertebrate in a captive setting has proven to be a challenge near impossible to meet. In our effort to make captive life humane for elephants EAI is helping to change how the public relates to elephants; how elephant owners view their elephants; how mahouts (elephant handlers) and elephant caregivers train elephants; and how captive elephants are cared for worldwide. By providing education and hands-on assistance, EAI is working to end the worldwide suffering of elephants…one elephant at a time.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Chain Free Means Pain Free Project
Following the grand success of our chain-free pilot program at National Trust for Nature Conservation, Chitwan, Nepal, EAI responded to a request from the Nepali government to create solar powered chain free corrals for all of their 64 working elephants. making Nepal government the first in Asia to go chain-free for captive elephants. Our goal to create chain-free corrals for all of the governments captive-held elephants who live and work in Nepal was realized in 2015 when EAI, working collaboratively with Nepal's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, build multi-acre solar powered electric fence corrals to replace the tradition of chaining an elephants' legs to a stout wooded post in the ground. By erecting chain-free corrals (power fencing) we are able to safely and securely contain elephants without the need to chain. Over the next several years we built the first chain free corrals at The Elephant Hospital and Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand; At the Bannerghatta Biological Park in India; And at Tiger Tops Elephant Camp in Nepal. In conjunction with the Chain Free Corral project we trained mahouts in Compassionate Elephant Care, a system that utilizes the understanding of elephant biology, psychology and culture in managing elephants to ensure their welfare. Additionally we have consulted with the governemnt of Sri Lanka to redesign both the elephant orphanage and the zoo in order to improve elephant welfare.
Elephant Foot Care Project
Over the past decade we have provided free, bi-annual elephant foot care and training for mahouts, owners, veterinarians and vet techs for over 300 captive-held elephants and they carers in Nepal, Thailand, India, Vietnam and Indonesia. We provide foot trimming services, teach foot trimming skills, oversee the development of in-house foot care programs, offer remote foot trimming and train elephant caregivers in foot health evaluation, provide foot care to promote overall health and prevent the onset of osteomyelitis, and provide the tools and equipment needed to maintain proper foot health.
Volunteer Program
provide an opportunity for the community to become involved in the preparation of Elephant Refuge North America in the US; help to erect chain free corrals in Asia; and to learn foot trimming skills to benefit captive-held elephants in Asia.
Certified Foot Care Program
A certified program for elephant foot care including classroom and practical requirements resulting in certification.
Elephant Refuge North America
An 850 natural-habitat refuge for retired captive-held elephants, providing an atmosphere of autonomy, community with compatible elephants, a non breeding, non exhibit, non commercial use facility.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of animal clinics/shelters improved as a direct result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, Economically disadvantaged people, Victims and oppressed people
Related Program
Elephant Foot Care Project
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
EAI provides direct support to 3 privately owned shelters, 9 government owned shelters and one US refuge for captive-held elephants.
Number of captive animals released
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Men and boys, Indigenous peoples, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Elephant Foot Care Project
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Captive-held elephants are not allowed to be released into the wild. These elephants are provided with annual pedicures and their mahouts/keepers trained in compassionate care, health and nutrition.
Number of animals with freedom from discomfort
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Elephant Foot Care Project
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We provide hands on assistance with foot care, mahout training, facility design, behavior evaluation, and rehabilitation to improve captive held elephants' lives.
Number of animals with freedom from pain
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Elephant Foot Care Project
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
35 of the elephants are free to express normal behavior for a few hours each day because they remain captive-held in Nepal. 2 have been retired to a refuge in the US where they have complete autonomy.
Number of animals with freedom to express normal behavior
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Elephant Foot Care Project
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
All of the elephants are free to express normal behavior for a few hours each day, some more than others because they remain captive-held.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
EAI aims to educate the public in an effort to raise human consciousness regarding elephants and the negative impact captive life has on them. We are engaged in multiple project aimed at helping elephant experience less suffering and more autonomy in their day to day life.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategies include education programs for mahouts and elephant caregiver (https://elephantaidinternational.org/projects/mahout-elephant-training-initiative/); foot trimming programs (https://elephantaidinternational.org/projects/elephant-foot-care/) to benefit elephants worldwide; chain free corral construction (https://elephantaidinternational.org/projects/chain-free-means-pain-free/) to change the brutal practice of chaining elephants to contain them; volunteer programs (https://elephantaidinternational.org/support/volunteer-opportunities/) to educate the public about elephants and how we can better serve them.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
EAI has provided theses services and engaged in our programs for a decade with great success. Creating Asia's first chain free corral; followed by collaboration with Nepal's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation to create chain free corrals for all of the governments 64 elephants; Our volunteer programs have assisted in building chain free corrals in Nepal and Thailand; Our foot care workshops attracted people from around the world and include mahouts from Nepal, India and Thailand.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
To date EAI has freed 117 elephants from a life in chains by building solar powered chain free corrals in Southeast Asia. These corrals are design for installation in the remotest of locations, where National Park anti poaching patrol elephants live and work. Additionally EAI has conducted foot trimming workshops and provided pedicures for elephants across Asia, servicing hundreds of elephants on a bi-annual basis. Our Mahout training program has provided education and training to more than 500 traditional mahouts who otherwise would never be exposed to a more humane approach to elephant training and management. Our volunteer program continues to educate hundreds each year, in Asia and the US, about the plight of captive-held elephants.
Benefiting from what has been learned about captive elephant care over the past several decades we have created Elephant Refuge North America, in Attapulgus GA.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Elephant Aid International
Board of directorsas of 11/23/2022
Carol Buckley
NA
Term: 2011 -
A. Christy Williams
World Wildlife Fund
Leslie Schreiber
NA
Carol Buckley
Elephant Aid International
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
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Gender identity
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Sexual orientation
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Disability
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