Information
Landmark: Knysna Elephant ParkCity: Knysna
Country: South Africa
Continent: Africa
Knysna Elephant Park, Knysna, South Africa, Africa
Overview
Founded in 1994, Knysna Elephant Park offers a safe haven where orphaned and rescued African elephants can heal, roam, and feel the warm sun on their backs.Tucked between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay along South Africa’s lush Garden Route, the park invites visitors to meet these majestic creatures up close, offering a hands-on experience that’s both respectful and deeply educational.Ian and Lisette Withers founded the Knysna Elephant Park, the first place in South Africa to give orphaned elephants a safe home, where the air still carries the faint, earthy scent of the herd.Over the years, the park has raised more than 40 elephants-relocated giants, orphaned calves who once huddled in the grass, and others rescued from culls.The park works to heal injured elephants and to open people’s eyes to the fight for their survival, from shrinking forests to the constant threat of poachers.At Knysna Elephant Park, you can join a guided walk with the herd, strolling past rustling grass and sunlit trees as expert guides share insights into elephant behavior and the vital work of conservation.Over the course of 45 minutes, you’ll see how the elephants spend their days, interact with one another, and reveal little quirks-like the way one flicks its ears when it’s happy.During the lively feeding sessions and talks, visitors hear stories of each elephant’s past, watch their quirks up close, and learn how the park works to protect them.During feeding time, guests can hand fresh fruit to the elephants, feeling the warm brush of a trunk, and in those moments, their bond with these gentle giants deepens.Sundowner Experiences: Unwind in the evening with the elephants, watching them nudge and rumble softly to each other as the sun dips low, then sip a cool drink while they roam in their natural surroundings.The park doesn’t just shelter elephants-it also conducts conservation research and runs outreach programs that bring neighbors together, sometimes over shared tea under the banyan trees.These initiatives work to help people and elephants live side by side, tackle conflicts like crop raids at night, and protect the species so they can thrive in the wild for generations.We’re open every day of the year, 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon-even on chilly winter holidays.It sits just off the N2 between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, so you can pull off the Garden Route in minutes and be there.If you want to soak up the whole experience, you can book a room in the park with a view of the elephants’ resting ground, where you might hear them shifting quietly in the dark.Visitors often praise the Knysna Elephant Park for treating its animals with genuine care and for teaching guests-sometimes as they watch an elephant brush dust from its back-about wildlife and conservation.Visitors get to stroll beside the elephants, feel the sway of their steady steps, learn how they’re cared for, and know they’re helping keep these giants safe for the future.
