Asian Elephant Conservation in Sri Lanka & India
Protecting wild elephants. Supporting the people who live alongside them. Connecting travelers and professionals with meaningful conservation work.
SavingGanesh.org is an Asian elephant conservation organization working with wildlife veterinarians, rangers, scientists, filmmakers, local communities and conservation-minded travelers throughout Sri Lanka and India.
For more than two decades, our team and collaborators have worked around Asian elephants through conservation filmmaking, field projects, veterinary and ranger support, human-elephant conflict initiatives, education and responsible wildlife travel.
Our goal is simple: help elephants survive in the wild while improving coexistence with the communities that share their habitat.
Our Approach
Saving Ganesh approaches elephant conservation through relationships.
We work with the people who live and work alongside elephants — villagers, farmers, wildlife veterinarians, government rangers, scientists, spiritual leaders and local conservationists. By spending time in these communities and listening to the people directly affected by human-elephant conflict, we are able to better understand both the challenges facing elephants and the realities facing the people who share their habitat.
Our community work has included healthcare outreach for people living in areas heavily affected by human-elephant conflict, as well as collaborations with monks and nuns at important Buddhist and Hindu sacred sites. These relationships help us build trust and connect conservation with the cultural and spiritual traditions that have shaped people's relationships with elephants for thousands of years.
Working With Wildlife Professionals
For more than 20 years, we have worked alongside wildlife veterinarians, government rangers, naturalists and other conservation professionals.
These relationships give us firsthand insight into elephant health, rescue and conflict response, habitat pressures, wildlife management and the daily realities of protecting Asian elephants.
We also create opportunities for veterinarians, researchers, students and other professionals to learn from the people doing this work on the ground.
Conservation Through Storytelling
Film and media have been central to our work from the beginning.
For more than two decades, Saving Ganesh has helped documentary filmmakers, journalists, photographers, writers and scientists tell important stories about Asian elephants. We provide logistical support, local relationships, translation, field context and access to a network of conservationists, rangers and veterinarians throughout Asian elephant-range areas.
Our work has helped bring attention to human-elephant conflict, habitat loss, elephant translocation, wildlife management, captive elephant welfare and other conservation challenges.
Rather than simply documenting elephants, our goal is to help tell the complete story — including the people, communities and difficult decisions involved in conservation.
Sri Lanka's Human-Elephant Coexistence Challenge
Sri Lanka is home to one of the world's most important remaining populations of Asian elephants, but elephants and people increasingly share the same landscapes.
Habitat fragmentation, agriculture, development and changing land use have intensified human-elephant conflict in many parts of the country. Farmers can lose crops, homes and livelihoods, while elephants may be injured or killed when conflict escalates.
Research has shown that people live within much of Sri Lanka's elephant range, which means simply separating elephants and people is not a realistic long-term solution. Conservation increasingly depends on finding better ways for the two to coexist. Cambridge University Press
Saving Ganesh works to support that coexistence through community relationships, conservation storytelling, collaboration with wildlife professionals and greater public understanding of the challenges facing both elephants and people.
Experience Elephant Conservation Firsthand
Saving Ganesh creates small-group conservation experiences for people who want to understand Asian elephants beyond conventional wildlife tourism.
Our journeys can include observing wild elephants, visiting national parks and conservation areas, meeting wildlife professionals and local communities, learning about human-elephant conflict, and exploring the cultural and spiritual traditions surrounding elephants in Sri Lanka and India.
We especially welcome veterinarians, veterinary students, wildlife professionals, filmmakers, photographers, researchers, students and thoughtful travelers.
We do not promote elephant riding or entertainment-based elephant experiences. Our emphasis is wild elephants, conservation, education, responsible observation and respect.