The main reason for the establishment of the centre at Kuala Gandah was to act as the headquarters for the Department of Wildlife's Translocation Team and as the home base for the working elephants who are an integral part of the translocation process. All of the adult elephants at the centre are either involved in or are being trained for translocations. For many years, Chek Mek and Mek Bunga (each now well over the age of 60) were the main translocation elephants and the stars of many newspaper and television stories. These days the other adult elephants at the centre are now easing into the role once occupied exclusively by Chek Mek and Mek Bunga.

There are also young orphan elephants living at the centre. In the course of their work, the Translocation Team sometimes comes across baby elephants who have been separated from their mothers and families. These separations usually occur when the rest of the family has been chased away by villagers or plantation owners who use loud explosions to scare nuisance elephants. Elephants live in close family groups which are highly supportive of one another. Without their mothers, these young elephants have no hope of survival in the wild. The Translocation Team brings these little elephants back to the centre and takes care of them until a more permanent home can be found. Unfortunately permanent homes are hard to find and it can take years before an appropriate placement is made.

Abot is one of the orphans at the centre.

When the adult elephants are not working or training they remain at the centre. The little orphans are always there. In the past, the elephants were kept chained to a concrete pad, the adults in the blazing sun and the orphans, fortunately, under a roofed structure. The elephants stood all day, often in their own feces. The elephants could not move around or interact with one another. For highly intelligent and social animals this was a tragic situation. The Malaysian Elephant Appeal helped to rectify this situation with the construction of an enclosed area in which the elephant are now free to roam. The Appeal remains committed to ensuring that life for the resident elephants continues to improve.

Mama Leh's legs were chained together and attached to a concrete pad.

Home (Please note: If you see the menu side bar to the left, please use that instead to navigate. Thanks.)