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.
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