How does the Elephant Transit Home differ from an elephant orphanage?

The Elephant Transit Home (ETH) is strictly about rehabilitating and releasing orphaned elephants back into the wild, while regular orphanages often end up keeping elephants in permanent captivity, mainly for tourist interaction. The ETH holds to a firm, no-touch rule for visitors.

At ETH, people watch the elephants from a raised platform during specific feeding hours, so the animals do not become familiar with or dependent on humans. In comparison, some commercial orphanages may give bathing sessions or let visitors do feeding activities, and that can undermine the elephants’ ability to live on their own once they are in their natural habitat.