If you're looking for an unforgettable encounter with gentle giants, the Knysna Elephant Park is the perfect destination for you.
Established in 1994, it was the first facility in South Africa to provide a home for orphaned African elephants. The park has since raised more than forty elephants, including relocated animals, orphaned calves, and those rescued from culls.
When you visit the Knysna Elephant Park, you're not just experiencing the magic of these magnificent animals up close, but you're also making a direct contribution to their care and welfare. With your support, the park is able to offer the best possible facilities, nutrition, and care to the elephants, as well as provide other elephants in need with a chance at a better life.
Encounters with Elephants
The Knysna elephants are given free range of the 60-hectare camp, where they exhibit natural behaviors and interact with visitors. There are no fences to spoil the close encounter, and visitors are given the opportunity to feed and walk alongside the elephants, following in the footsteps of Africa's giants. With responsible and educational interactions, guests can appreciate the awe-inspiring presence of these unique animals while still giving them the space and freedom to choose where they want to move, what they want to eat, and who they want to interact with.
Habitat and Nutrition
The vegetation in the camp is a mixture of indigenous Cape Fynbos (macchia), indigenous forest and grassland, with pine and gum plantations surrounding areas. The elephant minders take the elephants for regular strolls through the forests and plantations in the mornings and evenings, providing them with a diverse diet.
At night, the elephants are housed in a boma, where they are fed a high-protein porridge and black wattle branches. Their stalls are lined with sawdust, providing a comfortable bed for them to sleep on. In the morning, they are fed the high-protein porridge and move onto the first dam for a drink of water.
Facilities and Services
Aside from extraordinary elephant encounters, the Knysna Elephant Park also offers an on-site research unit, volunteer program, interpretation center, restaurant and playground, curio shop, and photographic and video department. There's plenty to do and see for visitors of all ages, making it a perfect family-friendly destination.
Opening Hours
The park is open 365 days a year, from 09h00 to 16h00 daily. Early morning and late afternoon walks are conducted at 07h30 and 16h00 by reservation only.
Conclusion
Visiting the Knysna Elephant Park is an experience like no other. Not only do you get to interact with these gentle giants up close, but you also get to make a direct contribution to their welfare and care. The park's commitment to elephant husbandry and nutrition, coupled with responsible and educational interactions, allows guests to gain a new-found respect for these animals and a better understanding of their plight across the continent. Make sure to add Knysna Elephant Park to your itinerary when on holiday!
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