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A Kent wildlife sanctuary has confirmed its elephants won’t be sent to Africa despite £250,000 being raised for the rewilding project.
Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury has been exploring overseas opportunities for its 12 African elephants for several years.
A fundraiser had previously been set up, which ended up raising £257,961 to help the animals return to the wild.
But today (July 23), bosses have said that, despite extensive efforts, the Trust and its charity partners have been unable to identify a suitable project that could accept the close family.
As the elephants will be staying at the site indefinitely, it will now be turning its full attention to their welfare, and has submitted a planning application to Canterbury City Council for a new elephant house and associated facilities.
The new development would include a 3,300msq purpose-built elephant house and 10,000msq of additional outdoor habitat, bringing the total elephant space to 41,000msq, which is around 10 acres.
If approved, it would also feature improved pools, wallows, dusting areas, outdoor shelters and large indoor sand areas, all designed by the park’s expert animal team.
The new facility would mean the herd can move between paddocks more easily.
It would also help to meet new and emerging guidelines for housing elephants in the UK.
The project marks the creation of the expanded Elephant Village at the site, where visitors can meet expert keepers and rangers, learn about each member of the herd, adopt an elephant, and donate to the project.
Howletts is home to more than 390 animals across 52 species, including the UK’s largest herd of African elephants.
Ticket sales help fund both animal care and the Trust’s wider conservation work.
Managing director Tony Kelly said: “This is the most significant investment in the history of our elephant programme, and it reflects our long-term commitment to the welfare of this incredible herd.
“Through elephant adoptions and donations, people can help create an outstanding new home for the herd while learning more about these remarkable animals and the conservation work they support.”
A spokesperson for Howletts Wild Animal Trust added: “The funds raised through the Back to the Wild campaign were raised for the benefit of The Aspinall Foundation, which is a separate charity to The Howletts Wild Animal Trust.
“Those funds were used over the past five years to support extensive work exploring and developing opportunities to rewild the elephant herd, including assessing potential projects and partners.”
In May, the animal park said goodbye to its young bull elephants Impi and Mchumba.
In a deal with Bristol-based Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, the pair left their birth group – a natural occurrence in the wild – and will look to establish themselves independently or among other males.
This dispersal was a key behavioural milestone that prevents competition within the family group and allows the herd, typically led by experienced females, to maintain a stable social structure.
In return, Noah’s Ark’s dominant bull Shaka joined the Howletts herd in May.
