Global Sanctuary for Elephants

What Global Sanctuary for Elephants does

Global Sanctuary for Elephants (GSE) is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 that operates Elephant Sanctuary Brazil (ESB), the first and only GFAS-accredited elephant sanctuary in South America, situated on 2,800 acres in the Cerrado biome of Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The organization rescues captive elephants from circuses, zoos, and theme parks across South America and provides lifelong care in a natural habitat designed to support physical, emotional, and social recovery. ESB currently houses six female Asian elephants (Maia, Rana, Mara, Bambi, Guillermina, and Baby), with ten elephants rescued since 2016 and a no-breeding sanctuary policy. Core operational capabilities include a protected contact management system, positive reinforcement training, holistic veterinary care integrating traditional diagnostics with FLIR thermal imaging, cold laser therapy, veterinary-compounded essential oils, and flower essences, plus an integrated wildlife rehabilitation program for native Brazilian fauna.

GSE runs a fully remote US-based team of approximately 6-8 staff ("The Growers") handling communications, development, fundraising, and accounting, co-founders Scott and Kat Blais live on-site in Brazil, supported by a full-time veterinarian and a volunteer team. The organization is funded entirely through private donations with no state or federal funding and reports that 95 cents of every dollar goes directly to programs and services. Revenue streams include individual donations, the Pathfinders monthly recurring giving program, the $75/year Elephant Adoption sponsorship program, merchandise sales, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, and alternative asset donations (stocks, cryptocurrency, DAFs). Customer segments are individual donors (primary), corporate CSR partners, and source organizations (zoos, circuses, theme parks) seeking elephant placement. Distribution is digital-first via website, social media, podcast (Global Rumblings), Elephant Diary blog, and newsletter, with strategic tier partnerships including ElephantVoices and The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

Name

Global Sanctuary for Elephants

Legal name

Global Sanctuary for Elephants

Website

https://globalelephants.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global Sanctuary for Elephants is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, the first and only GFAS-accredited elephant sanctuary in South America, rescuing and providing lifelong care for captive elephants on 2,800 acres in the Brazilian Cerrado.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Sanctuary Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Sanctuaries & Long-Term Care (Farm, Equine, Exotic) (BPAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Elephant sanctuary services
• Captive elephant rescue
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• Holistic veterinary care

Headquarters

HQ city

Brentwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting elephant rescue and sanctuary operations. 95 cents of every dollar goes directly to programs and services.
2. Elephant Adoption Program: Digital sponsorship program ($75/year) providing daily care including diets, supplements, medical care supplies. Adopters receive certificate, card, photograph, quarterly diary access, monthly updates.
3. Pathfinders Monthly Giving Program: Recurring monthly donations creating dependable support for daily elephant care and sanctuary operations.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling apparel, home goods, elephant prints, and wishlist items to raise awareness and funds.
5. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnerships with businesses for elephant sponsorship and organizational support.
6. Planned Giving: Bequests and legacy giving options for long-term supporter engagement.
7. Alternative Asset Donations: Accepts donations of stocks, cryptocurrency, and Donor Advised Fund (DAF) contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Global Sanctuary for Elephants operates Elephant Sanctuary Brazil (ESB), a 2,800-acre natural habitat sanctuary in the Cerrado biome of Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brazil, providing lifelong rescue, rehabilitation, and sanctuary care for captive elephants rescued from circuses and zoos. It applies a protected contact management model with positive reinforcement training and integrates holistic veterinary care (herbal supplementation, FLIR thermal imaging, cold laser therapy, essential oils, flower essences, and traditional diagnostics) to support physical and emotional healing.

Product overview

Global Sanctuary for Elephants operates Elephant Sanctuary Brazil as its core offering—the first and only elephant sanctuary in South America, spanning 2,800 acres in Brazil. The organization supplements its core sanctuary operations with several supporter engagement modules: an Elephant Adoption/Sponsorship Program ($75/year digital sponsorship), GSE Merchandise Shop for branded goods, Pathfinders recurring donation program, and individual Elephant Wishlists for direct gifting. All products and programs support the rescue, rehabilitation, and lifelong care of captive elephants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elephant Sanctuary Brazil South America's first and only elephant sanctuary, situated on 2,800 acres in Chapada dos Guimarães, Brazil. Provides safe, natural habitats for captive elephants rescued from circuses and zoos, offering space, holistic veterinary care, protected contact management, and herd companionship for physical and emotional healing.
• Elephant Adoption/Sponsorship Program Annual digital sponsorship program priced at $75 per elephant (or $400 for all six elephants) that funds daily care including diets, supplementation, and medical care supplies. Sponsors receive adoption certificates, elephant artwork cards, photographs, quarterly diary updates via email, monthly digital photo updates, and a Photo of the Month voting opportunity; optional USPS First Class delivery of printed packet available at additional cost.
• GSE Merchandise Shop Online shop at shop.globalelephants.org selling apparel, home goods, elephant prints, and sanctuary-branded merchandise. Proceeds support elephant care and sanctuary operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of every dollar donated goes directly to programs and services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Green Hope FarmminorOthersProvides flower essences (similar to Bach's rescue remedy) used in the sanctuary's holistic approach to elephant health and emotional well-being.
• AnimalEOminorOthersEssential oils sourced and compounded by a veterinarian, used in supportive and preventative herbal supplementation for elephants.
• Caroline Ingraham Essential OilsminorOthersVeterinary-compounded essential oils used in elephant health care protocols.
• Multi Radiance Veterinary LasersminorOthersProvides cold laser therapy equipment for treatment of elephant foot issues, joint problems, and soft tissue damage.
• ElephantVoicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Dr. Joyce Poole, a globally renowned expert in wild elephant behavior. Joyce brings over 40 years of encyclopedic knowledge of natural elephant behavior to inform sanctuary operations and ensure respect for innate elephant needs.
• The Elephant Sanctuary (Tennessee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Scott Blais in 1995, one of two organizations that pioneered progressive elephant care. Serves as the model for Elephant Sanctuary Brazil's development and operation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Elephant Sanctuary (Tennessee): Founded by GSE co-founder Scott Blais in 1995, this is the largest elephant sanctuary in North America. It is the direct sibling organization to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil and serves as the operational model for GSE's sanctuary design, care philosophy, and protected contact management system.
• Save Elephant Foundation: Thailand-based nonprofit operating Elephant Nature Park and related sanctuaries focused on rescuing captive and working elephants. Directly comparable as a GFAS-style accredited elephant rescue and lifelong care organization serving a specific regional captive elephant population.
• Elephant Nature Park: One of Southeast Asia's largest elephant sanctuaries, rescuing and rehabilitating captive elephants from tourism and logging industries. Operates a comparable sanctuary model with permanent care, herd companionship, and donor-supported operations.
• Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary (BLES): Thailand-based sanctuary dedicated to rescuing captive Asian elephants, particularly elderly and abused individuals. Directly comparable in mission, regional captive-elephant pipeline, and reliance on international donor support.
• Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS): California-based sanctuary rescuing captive wildlife from circuses, roadside zoos, and the exotic pet trade, with significant elephant residents. Highly comparable sanctuary model targeting former performing/exhibition elephants - the same source population GSE serves in South America.
• Wildlife SOS: India-based nonprofit operating rescue and rehabilitation centers for captive wildlife including elephants, bears, and leopards. Comparable as a multi-species captive-animal rescue organization with sanctuaries, donor-supported operations, and GFAS accreditation.

Broad incumbents

• Amboseli Trust for Elephants: Kenya-based research and conservation organization with 50+ years of elephant behavior research. Comparable as a science-driven elephant-focused nonprofit, though focused on wild population conservation rather than captive rescue - relevant for thought leadership and partnership opportunities.
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Large global animal welfare nonprofit with rescue, sanctuary, and policy programs across multiple species including elephants. Comparable in donor base and international footprint, though operating at much greater scale and scope than GSE's elephant-only focus.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): The largest global wildlife conservation organization with extensive elephant programs in Asia and Africa. Comparable as an internationally recognized elephant-focused nonprofit, though primarily addressing wild population conservation and anti-poaching rather than captive rescue.

Others

• ElephantVoices: Co-founded by Dr. Joyce Poole, a GSE board member and strategic partner. While primarily a research and advocacy organization rather than a sanctuary operator, ElephantVoices provides scientific grounding for GSE's care philosophy and represents an ecosystem partner with deep domain overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/globalelephants
• Facebookfacebook.com/globalelephants
• Instagraminstagram.com/globalelephants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/globalsanctuaryforelephants

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Sanctuary for Elephants