Due to the circumstances in Africa, elephants and man now have to live side by side and often they clash. The decision in these circumstances is often to shoot the elephants, however, EFAF are the organisation that intervenes when it can to save elephants that are going to be shot. EFAF also take elephants that are going to be culled and they adopt orphans that result from culling but at no time do they just take elephants from their herd.

These elephants are then tamed and trained and serve as ambassadors for their species so that we may learn to understand and respect them. Daphne Sheldrake, doyen of the elephant world, conservationist and naturalist from Kenya, recently stated that captured and trained elephants for the tourism industry, if treated humanely, are better off than dead elephants.

EFAF's, world renowned elephant trainers Rory (The Elephant Whisperer) and Lindie Hensman only use humane taming and training procedures by using the proven bilateral ask and reward principal, wherein mutual trust and admiration is honoured.

Professor H.P.P Lotter previous chairperson of the Ethics Society of South Africa in his paper on "The Ethics of Managing Elephants" wrote that "operant conditioning is widely used as ethically acceptable training method for animals like dolphins and dogs. By asking for, and rewarding, certain behaviour, no punishment or breaking of the elephant's spirit takes place. The EFAF elephants are continually groomed so as to get used to friendly, loving human behaviour and at no stage do the trainers or handlers require stupid, demeaning acts of the elephants. The elephants don't live in cages, but can roam freely in the African bush after their daily training session of 3 to 4 hours, enjoying the activities elephants naturally do in the African bush every day. These elephants return to their trainers and handlers out of their own free will. One could thus judge that they have been treated with respect as they are granted the daily choice whether to continue their training and work with humans" (Lotter, The Ethics of Managing Elephants, 15-16).

The company EFAF was formed in 2003 and after exhaustive scrutiny by the Limpopo Province's Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism, under the scrutiny of Charles Maluleke, their Senior General Manager. EFAF was awarded the first and only permit issued to date, to tame and train African elephants on a formal basis. EFAF has, from the beginning, adopted an open book, participative approach, to join forces with all stakeholders in finding solutions.

The result of this joint-venture approach has produced many world firsts in the tame elephant/human interaction process. EFAF confidently claims to be a world class organization with established principles.

Please visit the Elephants For Africa Forever website for further information: www.efaf.co.za.