Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA)

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rating

4.8

Excellent


68

Reviews


21

Years in business

Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) provides practical solutions to the elephant-human-conflict. Helping people & elephants to live safely and in harmony in Namibia.

Elephant Human Rlations Aid is a Namibian registered not for gain organisation (reg no. 21/2003/630) which has been in operation for 20 years. The aim of the organisation is to conserve the desert elephant population in Southern Damaraland, Namibia, through anti conflict measures.

In the 1980s the ...

Review Description

Elephant Human Rlations Aid is a Namibian registered not for gain organisation (reg no. 21/2003/630) which has been in operation for 20 years. The aim of the organisation is to conserve the desert elephant population in Southern Damaraland, Namibia, through anti conflict measures.

In the 1980s the population of desert-adapted elephants in the Southern Kunene Region were wiped out through years of poaching and hunting. For years elephants were absent from the area. In 1998 an elephant bull led a herd back to the Ugab River. From that point on other herds followed until today where there are a total of 7 elephant herds in the Ugab and Huab River areas.

Unfortunately, the people that now live in this area are not used to coexisting with the elephants. Traditional houses have been destroyed, elephants have used man made dams and broke infrastructures such as windmills or damaged water tanks with their tusks. This leaves people without access to water and creates a misunderstanding toward the elephants.

The Elephant Humans Relations Aid project aims to address this inbalance in nature by protecting water points and educating the people about a well functioning coexistence.

Over 1250 people have been volunteers with EHRA in Namibia. The volunteer project is dirty work, but very rewarding.  You will see the difference your hard work makes to elephant conservation. Volunteers protect the water points the elephants damage and spend a week tracking and collecting data on the local herds, sleeping wild under the stars in the Namibian desert!

EHRA's wildlife volunteer program is structured in 2-week rotations, but you can repeat for a maximum of 12 weeks. A volunteer group has a maximum of 14 people, of all ages and from all walks of life who join the program and come to Namibia to experience life in the African bush! Minimum age is 17 years old and there is no maximum age limit.


Contact Person

Maryna Groeschel

Spoken languages: English
  Good response rate

Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) reviews

Vera Zingg rating5.0

2024 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

I had never volunteered before, never been to Africa before - and this has been such a inspiring and life changing way to experience Namibia for the first time. I'd go back anytime to help, to live, to learn, and laugh with the crew of EHRA. Volunteering with EHRA means sleeping outdoors, cooking ...
Leila TOUIL rating5.0

2024 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

These 2 weeks were wonderful. The association does an amazing work helping the community and supporting the different structures of the area. It is more than seeing elephants. It is a holistic program (desertic nature discovery, elephants tracking lessons, community introduction) which helps the ...
diane slade rating5.0

2023 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

I would recommend volunteering with EHRA Our guides, Molly, Andreas and Herman were brilliant they know the environment and of course the Elephants. They were supportive and answered all the questions that were asked I travelled alone and met 12 other like minded, friendly, caring, funny ...
Joseph Malisov rating4.8

2021 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

I did the program for 2 weeks. The guides were caring, friendly, funny, and loved to teach volunteers about elephants and other wildlife. They show great respect for the area around them while keeping volunteers safe. The guides can likely handle any dietary restrictions, but make sure to let them ...
Graham Elliott rating4.0

2019 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

A really worthwhile project which aims to protect local infrastructure for villages (water towers, solar panel installations, etc.) which are often destroyed by elephants. Elephants are also feared by many local people as they can appear out of nowhere (they are very quiet when moving around) and ...
Talking about being taken out of my comfort zone...this was it! I am 70 years old and have seen a lot of the world.When a friend called me to see if I was game to go to Namibia with her, I said yes right away, but when she said for two weeks I did reconsider. Over 16 hrs flight time from New York ...

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Life On Land