AERU - African Elephant Research Unit

What AERU - African Elephant Research Unit does

Revenue is generated through three streams: (i) volunteer program fees from international and local participants on multi-week placements and the one-week Everything Elephant Experience, which include accommodation, meals and research training; (ii) donations and crowdfunding directed to the AERU research Trust; and (iii) merchandise sales including upcycled elephant-dung souvenirs and branded items at the on-site Curio Shop. Go-to-market is community-led: recruitment is driven by the website (aeru.co.za), organic social presence on Facebook (AERUVolunteers) and Instagram (aeru_elephants), the quarterly newsletter 'The Trumpet', and word-of-mouth referrals supported by published volunteer testimonials. The organization holds registered Public Benefit Organization status in South Africa (PBO #9300 44259), enabling tax-deductible giving, and has no parent company, equity holders or disclosed enterprise customers.

Name

AERU - African Elephant Research Unit

Legal name

African Elephant Research Unit Trust

Website

https://aeru.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AERU is a South African non-profit research trust at Knysna Elephant Park that runs behavioral and hormonal welfare research on captive African elephants, serving international volunteers, university students, and donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Research

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation, Research & Volunteer Experiences (THAJAIAJ), Wildlife & Animal Care Volunteering (EDAIAGAE)

Keywords

• Elephant welfare research
• Wildlife conservation programs
• Volunteer research placements
• Animal behavior studies
• Non-invasive hormone analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Harkerville (between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay)

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Volunteer Program Fees: International and local volunteers pay to participate in the volunteer research program, which includes accommodation, meals, and research training. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Public donations directed to the AERU research Trust for elephant enrichments, research, laboratory equipment, conferences and environmental education. Includes crowdfunding campaigns and memorial donations.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of elephant dung-derived souvenirs (dung jars, dung paper), upcycled rubber elephant keyrings, and AERU branded merchandise through the Curio Shop at Knysna Elephant Park.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AERU operates a volunteer-based elephant research program at Knysna Elephant Park in South Africa, conducting non-invasive behavioral and hormonal studies on captive African elephants. The organization sells multi-week and one-week volunteer research placements, individual elephant sponsorships, and fundraising merchandise to fund ongoing scientific research into elephant welfare, behavior, and social dynamics. It also operates Fiela's Legacy Lab, an on-site facility for non-invasive hormone analysis using elephant dung samples.

Product overview

AERU operates as a non-profit research trust offering a volunteer-based elephant research program at Knysna Elephant Park, South Africa. The core offerings include the Volunteer Program (both standard 3+ week placements and the intensive one-week Everything Elephant Experience), scientific research studies focused on elephant welfare and behavior, and Fiela's Legacy Lab for non-invasive hormonal analysis. Fundraising products include handcrafted souvenirs made from upcycled materials. The sponsorship program provides ongoing support for individual elephants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fiela's Legacy Lab: A laboratory established in memory of baby elephant Fiela, used for non-invasive hormonal level assessments and monitoring the health and welfare of elephants at Knysna Elephant Park and other facilities.

Products and services

• AERU Volunteer Program Multi-week volunteer program allowing participants to engage in elephant research activities including behavioral observations, dung sample collection, enrichment creation, and data recording. Provides hands-on experience in wildlife research and conservation to international and local volunteers.
• Everything Elephant Experience One-week intensive volunteer experience for those unable to commit to 3+ weeks. Includes educational talks, elephant identification training, data collection activities, dung sampling, enrichment creation, and elephant walking experiences.
• Elephant Research Studies

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully relocated elephants including ex-circus elephant Clyde to wild reserves, demonstrating viability of captive-to-wild transitions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Stellenbosch - Department of Animal SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Dr. Maud Bonato has worked as a Research Fellow within the Department of Animal Sciences since 2014. The university hosts collaborative elephant research and student projects. AERU staff and volunteers participate in research activities in conjunction with university faculty.
• University of California, DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research leading to publications including the first scientific description of yawning behaviour in elephants and studies on elephant-initiated interactions with humans. Zoë Rossman conducted research at AERU as part of her UC Davis work.
• Knysna Elephant ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAERU is physically located within Knysna Elephant Park. The park provides the elephant herd and infrastructure, while AERU conducts research and volunteer programs. This is the primary operational partnership.
• Botlierskop Game ReserveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer elephants Clyde and Shaka were relocated here in 2017. The reserve provides a wild environment for former captive elephants, and AERU continues to monitor and visit them.
• Plettenberg Game ReserveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarry and his herd (7 elephants) were relocated here in 2016. The elephants enjoy a massive area to explore and feed at this reserve.
• SanWild Wildlife Rescue CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrphaned zebra Mala was translocated to SanWild in Limpopo province. SanWild rehabilitates animals and releases them into their own reserve.
• Indlovu GinminorOthersProduces elephant-dung infused gin using dung sourced from Botlierskop Game Reserve, where former AERU elephants Clyde and Shaka reside.
• Muddy PoochesminorOthersCommunity initiative based in Plettenberg Bay working with children and dogs in township areas. AERU hosted visits for 80 children and built dog kennels as a community outreach project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wildlife ACT: South Africa-based nonprofit running paid wildlife conservation volunteer and research programs focused on African species (rhino, elephant, vulture). Operates an analogous volunteer-pays-to-participate model with research outputs.
• African Conservation Experience: South Africa-headquartered organization running paid wildlife conservation volunteer placements in southern Africa. Directly competes with AERU for the same international volunteer and student persona.
• Cheetah Conservation Fund: Namibia-based nonprofit conducting applied research and running volunteer/internship programs focused on a single African species. Mirrors AERU's species-specialist research+volunteer model, scaled to cheetah.
• Save the Elephants: Internationally recognized elephant research and conservation NGO with a strong publication and field-research track record. Highly comparable in species focus and science-driven mission, though operating at a much larger scale across multiple African range states.
• Shamwari Conservation Experience: Eastern Cape-based conservation volunteer and internship program embedded within Shamwari Game Reserve. Comparable in combining wildlife research/observation with a paid participant model tied to a specific reserve.
• Elephants Alive: South Africa- and Mozambique-based nonprofit dedicated to African elephant research, monitoring, and conservation—directly comparable in mission, geography, and species focus. Operates applied research programs funded through donations and supporter engagement similar to AERU.
• Global Vision International (GVI): GVI operates paid wildlife conservation and research volunteer programs across multiple countries in Africa, offering placements similar to AERU's volunteer research experience model. Both target international volunteers seeking hands-on conservation fieldwork with a research component.

Broad incumbents

• African Wildlife Foundation: Large pan-African conservation NGO operating across species and geographies. Overlaps thematically with AERU's conservation-research mission but at much larger scale and broader species/regional scope.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) South Africa: Large multinational conservation organization with a South African affiliate working on elephant and broader wildlife conservation. Competes for donor share and policy influence rather than for volunteers directly.

Others

• Knysna Elephant Park: The captive elephant facility within which AERU is physically embedded and through which it conducts all research and volunteer operations. Not a competitor but the operational and infrastructural host-partner whose continuity is critical to AERU.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AERUVolunteers
• Instagraminstagram.com/aeru_elephants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aeru---african-elephant-research-unit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AERU - African Elephant Research Unit