GLOBAL SANCTUARY FOR ELEPHANTS
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Mission Statement
Our mission is protecting, rescuing, and providing sanctuary for elephants worldwide. We exist to create vast, safe spaces for captive elephants, where they are able to heal physically and emotionally. There are elephants around the world in need of sanctuary, but too few exist to be able to care for even a fraction of them. We provide four integral pieces at sanctuary. 1) Vast wide wide-open spaces to allow elephants to get lost within their own world of intuitive exploration. 2) Mental and physical stimulation empowering them to think, move, and function as they would in the wild. 3) An emotionally nurturing environment that encourages elephants to communicate their fears and desires, free from expectation. 4) The companionship of a herd allowing elephants incomparable support and the knowledge that they are no longer alone.
About This Cause
Thousands of captive elephants in zoos and circuses around the world are suffering. Years of isolation, restraint, malnutrition, abuse, and lack of adequate exercise and proper medical care exact a harsh physical and psychological toll on these highly intelligent, sensitive, and social creatures. Unfortunately, too few places exist to be able to care for even a fraction of these elephants. Global Sanctuary for Elephants (GSE), a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, exists to provide a solution and home for captive elephants. Founded in 2013 by Scott and Kat Blais—elephant experts with over 50 years of combined experience—GSE has created vast, safe spaces for captive elephants, where they are able to heal physically and emotionally. Our first sanctuary, Elephant Sanctuary Brazil (ESB), is located on 2,800 tropical acres in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. It is the only elephant sanctuary in South America and one of only three elephant sanctuaries in the world accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). Our location was carefully chosen as it gives us the opportunity to make the greatest possible impact for captive elephants across an entire continent, where no other viable sanctuary options exist. This natural, safe, and expansive environment allows rescued elephants to roam freely and experience mud, ponds, and other enriching elements—often for the first time in decades. The contrast to their life of captivity in traditional zoo and circus settings couldn’t be more stark. Moreover, Brazil offers the benefit of a tropical climate, pristine waters, and lush vegetation, which create an environment that is ideal for both Asian and African elephants, eliminating the need for complex, heated barn structures and freeing up funding for time-critical rescues. Many of the elephants at ESB arrive with multi-faceted health conditions and decades of emotional trauma. Sanctuary care is extremely nuanced and requires a deep understanding of these complex beings. Our approach recognizes that each elephant is an individual with their own history, needs, and path to healing. Our team provides care plans tailored to each elephant. We also prioritize autonomy and choice, allowing elephants to make decisions for themselves. They decide where to go, what to do, when to do it, and with whom. They also have the support of other elephants to help them along the way. Despite their grossly abnormal years in confinement, elephants quickly learn to lean on one another, help each other through struggles, and celebrate together in the joys of life. The physical and emotional healing process that we have seen time and time again demonstrates that sanctuary works and that it is the most positive alternative for elephants in captivity. Every elephant is different, but one truth is constant: they all blossom beautifully as they rediscover what it means to be an elephant and are allowed the time, space, and autonomy to figure out who they are. This level of healing is something we want for captive elephants across South America.