Kottur Elephant Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre, Elephant rehabilitation center in Kappukad, Kerala, India.
Kottur Elephant Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre is a facility spread across 176 hectares of forest land that currently cares for 16 elephants in a natural setting. The grounds have capacity for up to 50 animals and provide medical care and recovery for injured or distressed elephants.
The facility opened in 2006 as an elephant park and was transformed into India's first dedicated rehabilitation center for elephants in 2007. Located within Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, it has since focused on rescuing and recovering distressed animals.
The mahouts here follow time-honored ways of caring for elephants, bathing and feeding them each day in methods passed down through generations. These daily routines reflect the deep connection between people and elephants in Kerala.
Visitors can watch the elephants in the morning between 9:30 and 11:30, when feeding and bathing take place. It helps to arrive early and wear comfortable clothing suitable for walking through the forest grounds.
The center houses Soman, an elephant born in 1942, who is recognized as one of the oldest known elephants in human care across South India. This long-lived resident represents the facility's role in providing lifelong sanctuary for aging animals.
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