The Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre is an
elephant sanctuary located in
Temerloh in the state of
Pahang,
Malaysia.
within the
Krau Wildlife Reserve.
The Centre was established in 1989 by the Malaysian
Department of Wildlife and National Parks
The Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara Semenanjung Malaysia), abbreviated PERHILITAN, is a governmental organisation that is responsible for the protection, man ...
, and forms a base for the Elephant Relocation Team, which since 1974 has been rescuing problem
Asian elephants whose habitats are being lost to cultivation or development.
and relocating them to suitable habitats such as
Taman Negara.
The Centre also aims to raise public awareness and support research, and has increasingly become a popular tourist attraction
since its existence began to be publicised in 1997.
Visitors to the Centre are shown a video, then watch the elephants being washed and fed. This used to be followed by riding on an elephant but now, visitors are being given the chance to go into the river with two younger elephants. Daily visitor admissions are subject to strict quotas and advance booking is strongly recommended.
Since limited budget together with congestion is a growing concern in Elephant centre's management, generating more sustainable source of income has to be considered (e.g. entry fee).
[Kaffashi, S., Yacob, M. R., Clark, M. S., Radam, A., & Mamat, M. F. (2015). Exploring visitors' willingness to pay to generate revenues for managing the National Elephant Conservation Center in Malaysia. Forest Policy and Economics, 56, 9-19.]
Gallery
File:US Navy 080819-N-4005H-078 Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) feed an elephant at the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary.jpg, Visitors feeding an elephant.
File:US Navy 080819-N-4005H-201 Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) ride an elephant.jpg, Elephant rides.
File:US Navy 080820-N-4009P-282 Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and other tourists help bathe two Asian elephants.jpg, Helping to bath the elephants.
References
External links
Tourism Malaysia - Kuala Gandah Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary{{Coord, 3.5923, 102.1428177, display=title
Elephant sanctuaries
Wildlife sanctuaries of Malaysia
Tourist attractions in Pahang
Geography of Pahang