Wildfires can destroy vegetation and water sources. IEF supports fire management and habitat restoration programs.

As water and food become scarce, elephants may enter farms or villages. IEF funds coexistence programs that reduce conflict.

Climate change reduces rainfall and increases evaporation, shrinking the water sources elephants depend on. Because elephants require large amounts of water and vegetation each day, drought quickly leads to dehydration, food shortages, higher mortality, and increased human–elephant conflict as herds search for resources. IEF supports water security projects, improved access to reliable water points, and habitat restoration in drought prone regions.

A climate resilient ecosystem can adapt to changing temperatures and rainfall. IEF supports conservation strategies that strengthen ecosystem resilience.

Elephants may shift migration routes to find water and food. IEF supports GPS tracking to understand climate driven movement changes.

By dispersing seeds and shaping forests, elephants help maintain carbon rich ecosystems. IEF protects these ecological processes through habitat conservation.

Climate change alters rainfall patterns, reduces water availability, and shifts vegetation zones. IEF supports climate resilience projects that protect elephant habitats.

Drones, GPS collars, AI powered monitoring, and acoustic sensors. IEF supports innovative technologies that improve conservation outcomes.

The ivory trade drives poaching and population decline. IEF supports anti poaching and demand reduction initiatives.

Patrols use spatial data, poaching risk modeling, and real time monitoring. IEF funds ranger training and patrol support.

Through long term observation, camera traps, acoustic monitoring, and GPS tracking. IEF funds behavioral research across multiple regions.

GPS collars, satellite telemetry, and remote sensing. IEF funds tracking projects to understand migration and habitat use.

Protected areas safeguard core habitats that remain stable under climate change. IEF supports conservation inside and outside protected areas.

Genetic diversity helps populations adapt to environmental change.

Balancing human–elephant coexistence, habitat fragmentation, and poaching pressure. IEF funds projects addressing all three.

Connectivity allows wildlife to move freely across landscapes. IEF protects migration routes and reduces barriers to movement.

Deforestation destroys natural food sources and fragments habitat, forcing elephants to search for new home ranges. As they move into areas where people live and farm, the likelihood of human–elephant conflict increases.

Through dung analysis, isotope studies, and direct observation. IEF has supported nutritional and ecological research.

Elephants disperse seeds over long distances through their dung, helping forests regenerate. Some plant species won’t germinate unless their seeds pass through an elephant’s digestive system.

Elephants knock down trees, disperse seeds, and create clearings. IEF protects these ecological processes through habitat conservation.

Corridors connect fragmented habitats, allowing elephants to migrate safely. IEF funds corridor mapping and protection projects.

Roads fragment habitat and increase poaching risk. IEF supports mitigation strategies such as wildlife crossings and protected corridors.

Fragmentation restricts movement, reduces genetic diversity, and increases stress levels in the elephants and human elephant conflict. IEF supports corridor protection and landscape level planning.

Fragmentation occurs when habitats are broken into smaller pieces. IEF works to reconnect fragmented landscapes through corridor protection.

Elephants travel long distances for food, water, and social needs. IEF protects migration corridors and large habitat areas essential for survival.

Landscape level conservation protects entire ecosystems, not just isolated areas. IEF funds projects that safeguard large, connected habitats.

Carrying capacity is the number of elephants an ecosystem can support.

Population viability analysis models long term survival under different threats.

Researchers use aerial surveys, camera traps, dung counts, acoustic monitoring, and satellite tracking. IEF supports multiple population monitoring methods across Africa and Asia.

Researchers can apply through IEF’s online grant portal, accessible from the homepage.

The International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium is a bi-annual global conference where international elephant researchers, conservationists, veterinarians, and related professionals share findings on wild and captive elephant management and conservation.

IEF hosts global symposia, funds multi institution research, and connects scientists, veterinarians, and conservationists worldwide.

Scientist study diseases through field sampling, laboratory diagnostics, and long term health monitoring of both wild and captive elephants. IEF is a global leader in elephant disease research.

EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus) is a fast acting and often fatal disease that threatens young elephants across all species. With no known cure, it remains the leading cause of death for juvenile calves. The International Elephant Foundation is a global leader in EEHV research, funding critical work in diagnostics, treatment, and vaccine development.

Elephants face threats from EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus), tuberculosis, and potentially emerging diseases. IEF funds disease research and veterinary programs.

Local communities are essential for long term success. Those living alongside elephants and wildlife will ultimately be the ones who take action for their survival, therefore it is important to work with communities so everyone benefits from conservation. IEF partners with communities to create sustainable coexistence solutions.

Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is the umbrella term that describes all human conflict with wildlife. Elephants are not the only species that raids crops, damages homes and property, and creates danger for human communities. HEC is a specific kind of HWC.

Human-Elephant Conflict or HEC occurs when elephants damage crops or property, often leading to retaliation. IEF supports sustainable solutions such as beehive fences (which elephants avoid), poliwire fences, and community-based education programs that allow humans and elephants to coexist peacefully. The goal is to turn HEC into Human-Elephant Coexistence (HECx). IEF funds coexistence programs that reduce conflict.

Elephants typically sleep 2–6 hours per day. Younger animals sleep longer and usually lie down, while adults sleep for shorter periods, often standing. As elephants age, they lie down less frequently.

Typically, a female has one calf every 4 years although twins have been recorded.

Elephants form strong maternal bonds. Female calves remain with their maternal herd throughout their lives and often become “allomothers” as juveniles, helping care for younger siblings and the calves of other females. Males stay with the herd until puberty, after which they leave to join bachelor groups until they are mature enough to compete with adult males for breeding opportunities. IEF supports programs that protect these essential family structures.

Elephants have the longest gestation of any land mammal — about 22 months. IEF supports reproductive research and monitoring.

Actually, like all mammals, elephants have two knees (in the back) and two elbows (in the front). However, because their legs are thick and pillared, they appear to bend similarly.

Despite having skin up to an inch thick, it is sensitive enough to feel a fly land on its back. Elephants use mud and dust as a natural insect repellent and to protect their skin from the sun.

Tusklessness can be genetic or influenced by selective pressure from poaching.

African savannah and forest elephants: Both males and females commonly grow tusks.
Asian elephants: Only males develop the large, recognizable tusks; females typically have small, barely visible tusks called tushes that rarely extend beyond the upper lip.
All species: Males can occasionally be born without tusks.

Tusks are used for digging, stripping bark, defense, and social interactions. IEF works to reduce poaching driven by the illegal ivory trade.

Elephants flap their ears, bathe in water, and cover themselves in mud to regulate temperature.

Elephants demonstrate strong long term memory, recalling individuals, locations, and migration routes for many years. While memory is difficult to measure across species, observed behaviors indicate a high level of cognitive retention.

Elephants use branches to swat flies, scratch themselves, or dig

Although “intelligence” is a human term and difficult to measure in non human species, elephants appear to demonstrate advanced cognitive abilities, including problem solving, tool use, strong memory, and behaviors that some researchers interpret as self awareness.

Elephants communicate through vocalizations, body language, and powerful low frequency rumbles. They also use infrasound—vibrations below the range of human hearing—that can travel for miles through the ground, allowing herds to coordinate movement. IEF supports research that advances our understanding of these communication systems.

Elephants migrate to find food, water, mates and safe habitat. IEF funds studies that identify and protect critical migration corridors.

If resources are plentiful, elephants may stay within a relatively small range; however, they are capable of traveling 10–30 miles per day based on forage quality, water access, and seasonal movement routes.IEF supports research that maps elephant movement

Elephants consume 200–600 pounds of vegetation daily. IEF funds habitat protection to ensure elephants have access to natural food sources.

By examining tooth wear, body size, and physical characteristics.

The average lifespan of an African elephant is 50 – 60 years. Asian elephants can live 60–70 years. Lifespan of the African forest elephant is unknown.

We recommend reporting illegal activity to local law enforcement and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Supporting IEF’s anti-poaching units directly helps prevent these crimes before they occur and successfully follow cases through the judicial process.

IEF’s website (https://elephantconservation.org/) provides a wealth of educational materials for students, teachers, and researchers, including “Elephant Facts” sheets, conservation status updates, free lesson plans, and field reports from projects across Africa and Asia.

You can subscribe to IEF’s conservation e news through the homepage at https://elephantconservation.org/

IEF funds scientific studies on elephant behavior, ecology, disease, genetics, and conservation strategies.

Donating to IEF supports community-led conservation. IEF believes that for elephants to survive, local people must benefit. Donations fund educational programs and long‑term solutions—such as sustainable agriculture practices, alternative livelihoods, and poliwire and beehive fences that protect farmers’ crops without harming elephants—helping foster peaceful coexistence.

IEF funds ranger patrols, K9 units, surveillance programs, and community based anti poaching initiatives that prevent poaching before it occurs.

IEF supported programs protect tens of thousands of elephants annually, depending on region and project scope.

IEF supports anti poaching, habitat protection, human–elephant conflict mitigation, disease research, and community education.

The primary threats to elephants fall into four major categories:

• Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: Expanding human populations and land conversion reduce and divide traditional elephant ranges.
• Human–Elephant Conflict (HEC): Elephants and communities compete for space, crops, and resources, leading to conflict and risk for both.
• Poaching: Illegal killing for ivory, skin, and other body parts continues to threaten elephant populations.
• Disease: Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) is a particularly lethal disease affecting young elephants.

Elephants create habitats for other species by dispersing seeds and shaping vegetation, clearing and maintaining landscapes. IEF protects these biodiversity supporting processes.

Elephants dig water holes, open access to springs, and create pathways to water for themselves and a multitude of other species.

Yes. Ecosystem Engineers create, modify and maintain habitats. Elephants push over trees, open up dense vegetation, create gaps in forest canopies, dig for water and minerals, and disperse seeds in their dung, all of which can increase habitat diversity and support other wildlife. Their activities support biodiversity and ecosystem health. Without elephants, many habitats would collapse. IEF’s conservation work helps maintain these ecosystems.

Elephants are a “keystone species.” Keystone species are organisms that hold an ecosystem together and whose presence is essential for habitat health. Elephants create paths in forests, dig for water in dry riverbeds (which helps other animals), and disperse seeds through their dung. Without them, entire ecosystems in Africa and Asia would collapse.

While there are many differences—and researchers continue to learn more every day—the primary distinctions include:

• Size: African savanna elephants are generally larger than Asian elephants, while African forest elephants are the smallest of all elephant species.
• Ears: African elephants have large ears shaped roughly like the African continent; Asian elephants have smaller, more rectangular ears. African forest elephants have ears similar to savanna elephants but more rounded.
• Tusks: Both male and female African elephants typically have tusks, whereas only some male Asian elephants do. African forest elephant tusks tend to grow straight downward.
• Trunk: African savanna and forest elephants have two “fingers” at the tip of their trunk, while Asian elephants have only one.
• Body Shape: Asian elephants have a rounded back, while the backs of African savanna and forest elephants dip downward.
• Head Shape: Asian elephants have two prominent head domes; African savanna and forest elephants have a single dome.

African Forest elephants are listed as Critically Endangered, African Savanna elephants are Endangered, and Asian elephants are Endangered. Organizations like IEF work specifically to reverse these trends through on-the-ground protection and policy advocacy.

There are three species: the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. IEF supports conservation programs for all three species.

IEF’s website at https://elephantconservation.org/ provides impact statistics, project summaries, and annual reports summarizing conservation results.

Through the Our Partners initiative, IEF collaborates with zoos, universities, and other NGOs worldwide. These partnerships allow IEF to leverage shared resources, meaning your donation works harder by being part of a massive, global network of experts rather than a single isolated effort.

IEF currently supports conservation projects across Africa, Asia, and North America, Europe.

IEF’s initiatives include habitat protection and restoration. By funding the protection of “corridors”—strips of land that connect fragmented habitats—your donation ensures that elephants can migrate safely to find food and water, which is essential for the long-term survival of the species. Moreover, IEF funds projects that preserve and protect elephant habitat, which also provides the metaphorical umbrella of protection for every species of fauna and flora who share that ecosystem.

IEF directs funds to field conservation, research, anti poaching, education, and community programs, with transparent reporting on its website.

Yes, IEF offers a Sponsor An Elephant program. Available at elephantconservation.org, these symbolic sponsorships allow donors to fund the protection and preservation of the Big Tuskers, Iconic Cows, and Emerging Tuskers of Tsavo, Kenya, or the unique Asian elephants on the island of Sri Lanka. Funds are directed to those specific projects and allow donors to follow the impact of their donation.

Yes. Our Donate Page offers options for monthly giving, which provides the steady, predictable funding needed for long-term projects like anti-poaching units. IEF also accepts legacy gifts and planned giving, allowing donors to create a lasting impact on elephant conservation for generations to come.

You can donate securely at elephantconservation.org, via check, stocks or through planned giving such as bequests, DAFs, and QCDs.

Yes. The International Elephant Foundation is a United States registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law in the United States. Donors receive an official letter of acknowledgment for their records.

IEF has been protecting elephants for more than 25 years through global partnerships and science based conservation.

Yes. IEF is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with more than 25 years of proven conservation leadership.

You can support elephant conservation by donating to reputable organizations like elephantconservation.org, adopting an elephant symbolically, or directing your donation to a specific project. Additionally, avoiding the purchase of ivory and supporting sustainable, elephant-friendly products helps reduce threats to their habitat.

The International Elephant Foundation is committed to transparency. Donations are directed toward what we consider “boots on the ground conservation” which consists of field projects including anti-poaching teams, habitat protection, veterinary care for injured elephants, and critical research into elephant diseases like Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).

IEF prides itself on low administrative overhead. Because it was founded by a coalition of dedicated professionals and partners, a high percentage of every dollar goes directly to field programs, anti-poaching teams, and habitat restoration. On average over 85% of all the funds raised by IEF annually have gone directly to programs. Moreover, no board member receives monies from IEF. Rather they all make significant financial contributions to IEF.

IEF focuses exclusively on elephants, funds science based projects, and has a long track record of measurable conservation impact.

IEF delivers measurable results, protects tens of thousands of elephants annually, and funds high impact conservation projects across Africa and Asia.

IEF’s goal is to secure a future for all elephant species by funding and implementing conservation, research, and education programs worldwide.

IEF protects African savannah, African forest, and Asian elephants through anti poaching patrols, habitat conservation, human–elephant conflict mitigation, research, and community education.

IEF is unique because it was created by elephant professionals who recognized the need for a targeted, science-based approach. Unlike general wildlife organizations, IEF focuses 100% on elephants. By donating to IEF, you are supporting an organization that specifically identifies and funds the most critical elephant conservation projects, from community-based protection to cutting-edge veterinary research.

The International Elephant Foundation HOME page, https://elephantconservation.org/ provides the most complete overview of IEF’s mission, impact, programs, and ways to get involved

You can participate in awareness campaigns, attend events, share IEF’s mission, or support conservation education programs. (Inference based on IEF’s public engagement activities.)

Elephants face poaching, habitat loss, human elephant conflict, and emerging diseases—threats IEF works to address through global partnerships.

Yes. IEF trains conservation professionals, supports students, hosts global symposia, and funds educational programs that improve elephant welfare and management.

You can join IEF’s conservation e news list to receive updates, stories from the field, and conservation results.

IEF focuses exclusively on elephants, funds science based and community driven projects, and has a long track record of measurable conservation impact across multiple continents.

Researchers can apply through IEF’s online grant application portal. IEF typically funds 20–25 projects annually, with average awards of $15,000.

IEF protects African savannah elephants, African forest elephants, and Asian elephants—all of which face threats from poaching, habitat loss, and human elephant conflict.

IEF empowers community members through training, education, coexistence programs, and support for local conservation leaders and rangers.

Yes. IEF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to elephant conservation.

You can donate online through the IEF website, by mail, or through planned giving options such as estate gifts, donor advised funds, and qualified charitable distributions.

IEF funds projects focused on anti poaching, human elephant conflict mitigation, habitat conservation, disease research, community education, and transboundary conservation efforts.

IEF supports anti poaching patrols, ranger training, K9 units, surveillance programs, and community based monitoring that prevent poaching before it occurs.

IEF has more than 25 years of global conservation leadership and has funded over 300 projects across Africa, Asia, and North America.

IEF’s goal is to secure a future for all elephant species by supporting conservation, research, education, and community based programs that protect elephants and their habitats.