Jaipur: Ethical Elephant Care Sanctuary Experience

No riding. That is the whole point.

The elephants at this sanctuary are not ridden and there is no howdah on the property. Several came out of the Amber Fort ride line or from wedding and temple work, both of which are hard on an elephant's feet and spine. Here the day is feeding, washing, walking and leaving them be.

If you want a photograph on an elephant's back, book something else — and the reason we do not offer it is the animal's spine, not a policy document.

Hathi Gaon

The sanctuary sits in the elephant village built outside Jaipur in the 2000s, specifically so the animals and their mahouts would have trees, water and space instead of a city lane. Driving in through it is part of the visit.

Feeding

You start with food, which is how an elephant decides whether it likes you: sugarcane, bananas, melon and jaggery balls pressed by hand. An adult eats around 150 kg a day and drinks up to 200 litres, so this takes a while — which is the point. You stand beside a four-tonne animal long enough to stop being nervous.

There is a briefing first on anatomy and behaviour, including how the trunk works: roughly forty thousand muscles and no bone.

Washing

Elephant skin is about two and a half centimetres thick and still sunburns, which is why they throw mud and dust over themselves in the wild. Scrubbing one down with a brush while it sprays you deliberately is the part nobody expects to enjoy as much as they do.

The mahouts

Most have worked with the same animal for years and are the most interesting people on site. Ask them how they read moods, and how long trust took.

Three options

A Jaipur full-day sightseeing tour with a guide; photography and feeding at the sanctuary; or all the elephant activities in the village with hotel pickup.

Practical

Around two and a half hours at the sanctuary. You will get wet and muddy — bring a change of clothes and shoes you do not mind.

No flash photography around the animals.