Wildlife SOS

I visited and volunteered at the Agra elephant and bear sanctuaries in November 2024.

I first worked with the charity in around 2000 when it was 5 years old and it was humbling to return to see their massive achievements: all of India’s dancing bears have been rescued, but not only that, their owners rehabilitated through support from WSOS to set up new businesses and their families supported through education and medical care, meaning they will never return to dancing bears.

WSOS then turned their attention to rescuing working elephants. They have cared for 100+ elephants at their sanctuary, built the first elephant hospital in India, have put a mobile hospital on the road to take treatment to where it’s needed and they send an ambulance when an elephant needs rescuing.

Oh and they also rescue animals throughout India and run several 24/7 animal rescue hotlines.

As a volunteer I helped prepare food, feed the bears and elephants, clean their enclosures and built a platform for the bears to play on.

I wholly recommend volunteering with WSOS, it’s a great education experience, an opportunity to give something back and we had a special and memorable holiday at the same time. WSOS staff are warm and welcoming and make the experience fun and rewarding.

I wholly recommend supporting WSOS.

I recently spent 10 days in India on the Wildlife SOS Founders Tour. It was a profound experience. I’ve been a huge advocate of Wildlife SOS for 15 years. It was amazing to finally meet the elephants they’ve saved from decades of abuse but even more inspiring to see and feel the passion and purpose of this wonderful organization at work. Wildlife SOS has been hugely successful rescuing India’s abused elephants for 30 years. I have no doubt they’ll achieve their stated goal of ending the horror of captive elephants in India by 2030, and I’m more committed than ever to help them raise the funds and awareness to do just that. Please consider donating to this impressive organization and ending the cruel and barbaric practice of captive elephants forever.

I love Wildlife SOS. As an animal lover, seeing the amount of dedication and determination Wildlife SOS has to rescue, rehabilitate and conserve the wildlife in India is incredibly inspiring. As a volunteer back in 2020, I was lucky to travel to India to see first hand the work they are doing. The level of compassion and care they have for these animals is something I am proud to stand by and support. The work they do is important and supporting their work is important.

We had a great visit to the Elephant sanctuary near Agra this February. It was lovely to see the elephants, and the staff were very welcoming and informative. Shivam in particular was really helpful, and our ten year old son especially enjoyed it.

Wildlife SOS works hard to rescue and care for animals with every donation. Please help them make life better for sloth bears, elephants and a multitude of other animals in peril.

Wildlife SOS is one of the most outstanding nonprofits I’ve donated to. They were responsible for entirely eliminating the abuse to sloth bears in India. Now their mission is to eliminate abuse of the most majestic creatures on our planet, the elephants. While the task is daunting and expensive, they are determined to accomplish with support from all of us.

This nonprofit is an example of everything a nonprofit should be. The organization is filled with dedicated, compassionate and passionate people. They go above and beyond for all the creatures and have created and instituted programs that are life changing for the animals and humans alike. They are truly committed to the betterment of the animals and nature.

I cannot even begin to describe how much I respect and appreciate the work that Wildlife SOS does. I've been a supporter for about 10 years but recently had the opportunity to visit several WSOS facilities in India and visit with the team. These people are the real deal... the donations they receive have been applied with absolute focus on the animals and literally saving India's wildlife. I am so proud of their work, the leaders, the administrative team, the handlers, the vets, the... everyone who works in this organization. The love they have and real passion for the animals is apparent in everything they do.

I’ve been fortunate to be on the board of Wildlife SOS for nearly two decades. I originally decided to become involved because I was so impressed by their work saving sloth bears from their days of “dancing” at the end of ropes. They were able to save more than 600 bears in a short period of time… providing them much needed medical care, compassion, and sanctuary. AND remarkably, they helped the people who had been harming these bears find new sources of income, new skills, and helped their children go to school. Kartick, Geeta, and the organization they’ve created are tenacious, resourceful, innovative, and fully dedicated to the conservation and care of India’s wildlife. I’m extremely proud to be part of it!

I have been to several events hosted in support of Wildlife SOS and I’ve been amazed to learn of the incredible work the organization is doing. India has such a diverse wildlife population and there are so many animals in need. Wildlife SOS has stepped up and provided such great care to the deserving animals. It’s hard to believe all the work they accomplish! This organization does incredible things.

I am associated with Wildlife SOS since the past 10 years, first as a visitor, then a volunteer and then as a Board member. In these years I have interacted with both staff members and the co founders, and have the utmost regard for this team. Its a pleasure to see the animals - the bears rescued from a miserable life and finally living peacefully, their illiterate owners helped to find alternate ways to earn their livelihood, their children enrolled in schools, a holistic solution to the 'Dancing Bears' of India. A solution that required many years of dedication and commitment by Wildlife SOS.
The elephant hospital with its state of the art facilities to treat the various problems that they come with, is impressive and path breaking at the same time. Watching such competence compels one to do ones bit, especially if one is an animal lover.
The massive scale of operations covers wildlife crime investigation and a rescue hotline for wild animals in many cities in India. Finally it is the dedication of passionate individuals that can make a difference.

Since becoming acquainted with Wildlife SOS and the incredible work they undertake to nurture and safeguard flora and fauna in India, I have become inspired to do more and support them in anyway I can.

What they have achieved and continue to achieve should be at the fore of public consciousness.

Without the passion of organisations like Wildlife SOS, the planet would be in a much worse position than it is and they should be applauded and recognised for everything they do.

On behalf of all allkind - Thank You.

WildlifeSOS is truly a benchmark in animal rescue and rehabilitation. What they are doing in a country as big and diverse as India is truly remarkable. And that is why their work gets noticed easily. From rescuing elephants to rehabilitating leopards and sloth bears, they do it all and often in very difficult circumstances. Not easy in a world where managing finances for such a large NGO is extremely difficult. I wish WildlifeSOS all the very best for the future.

The team at Wildlife SOS are professional, friendly and very knowledgable about the animals they care for.. I know that the money I raise to help this great charity is used wisely. Animals are given the best medical care, nutrition and living conditions possible, by individuals who really care about preserving wildlife, protecting their environment and working closely with local people.
Supporters are kept up to date with news and events - good or bad - and are encouraged to visit the sanctuary to see for themselves the great work that happens there.

I researched a lot of charities before deciding which to support, and Wildlife SOS were top of list!

Wildlife SOS truly cares about the health and wellbeing of all animals. The love staff members demonstrate for wildlife is incomparable. This nonprofit provides excellent communication that keeps patrons involved in the rescue and care of animals. Thank you Wildlife SOS for all that you do!!!

Volunteering at Wildlife SOS has been an incredibly rewarding and eye-opening experience. Wildlife SOS is an organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife in distress, with a primary focus on bears and elephants in India. As a volunteer, I had the privilege of working alongside a team of passionate and dedicated professionals who are committed to making a difference in the lives of these magnificent animals.

My days at Wildlife SOS were filled with diverse tasks, ranging from assisting in feeding and caring for rescued animals to participating in enrichment activities that promote their physical and mental well-being. Every moment spent with these majestic creatures was a reminder of the impact we can have when we come together to protect and conserve wildlife.

Beyond the hands-on work, I learned about the challenges facing wildlife conservation and the importance of educating local communities about coexistence with animals. Witnessing the dedication of the staff and their tireless efforts to save and rehabilitate endangered species left a profound impression on me

I went on the Wildlife SOS Founders Trip in January 2023. It was an incredible experience seeing the work they do with Asian elephants, sloth bears and other miscellaneous animals. We also went to the Taj Mahal, and Ranthambore National Park where we saw tigers.
I also had the pleasure to stay on at Wildlife SOS for another week as a volunteer. I thought the Founders Trip was great, but staying on as a volunteer was exceptional! I had the opportunity to help in the care of the elephants and sloth bears. I worked with the veterinarians and the staff to hopefully make a difference for all the animals.

I went on the 2023 Founder's Tour with Wildlife SOS. It was, unquestionably, the best trip of my lifetime. I have been to most of Europe, Australia, the Bahamas, and many of the 50 states. Nothing compares with this well-organized, perfectly executed trip. It was an exciting mixture of seeing wildlife and learning about the culture of India. Every day was packed with something new. The hosts were prepared for anything from a cold to a broken cameras. One afternoon will stay in my memory forever. We sat by a river with two elephants as they played in the water and munched on favorite treats. These elephants had been abused for decades before SOS was able to rescue them. That day they were happy elephants, just being elephants, not circus animals or begging elephants, or just put to any other task. They went in the water and sprayed their backs and just had the best time. Without SOS, they would most likely be dead, and if not, would be in agony with spikes stuck in their feet and legs or heavy carriages placed on their backs. But thanks to SOS, they were in great condition, able to walk again and just enjoy being an elephant. As they played and had fun, they taught me a life lesson. Leave the hurts of the past behind, whether they be emotional or physical, and enjoy today. I will never forget these elephants or the many other animals we saw, including 2 tigers we saw on safari. This trip was the perfect way to see native Indian animals and the diverse culture of the country. I will be back, and it is SOS Wildlife that I will return with.

I've been donating to Wildlife SOS for several years now. The more I learn about them the more impressed I become. The National Geographic, five part series, about them was enlightening as to the vast scope of the services they provide and the tireless efforts that they make to provide these animals a comfortable, healthy existence and relieve them of the bondage and suffering they have endured.

I have met a leader in the animal rights movement that is not associated with Wildlife SOS. But he is a leader in the USA in providing similar care and rescues to elephants and other animals. He told me that Wildlife SOS is definitely a great organization that is doing fabulous work.

I had the great privilege to visit the Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura and the Agra Bear Rescue Facility in February 2020, and got a chance to see, first-hand, the excellent application of my monthly donations in the care of these beautiful creatures. Geeta, Kartick, and their wonderful staff are passionately dedicated to the well being of animals, both captive and wild, in India and beyond. I’m happy to see that my donations, however meager, are being put to such good use.

My daughter and I were lucky enough to go on the Founder’s Trip to Wildlife SOS. We’ve often reflected that there wasn’t a “dud” day in what turned out to be a great educational, cultural and all round fun experience. We learned of valuable conservation work being undertaken by the organization and in addition visited famous buildings but, hey, you know where your heart really is, when you’re marvelling at the Taj Mahal and, at the same time, you’re yearning for the elephants!

There was nothing quite like visiting the elephant sanctuary to appreciate just how well these magnificent pachyderms were cared for. It was wonderful to witness them, in their friendship groups, munching on their fodder, taking their walks and swims. But what I noticed most strongly was the empathy that was shown to the elephants. I paid particular attention to an elephant called Priyanka. Priyanka was in an enclosure close to the other elephants but on her own. The emotional damage that she had suffered meant that for now she needed alone time giving her the opportunity to heal at her own pace in a peaceful and quiet setting. So donations don’t just go to the well-being of elephants, they actually go to best support each individual elephant along their healing journey. Happy elephants, happy donor!

Catherine

Wildlife SOS does amazing work, and in an area that until recently received scant coverage. The elephants, leopards, pangolins and other creatures they help across India are not just in need of support at a humane level, but form a critical part of our ecosystem. These animals are often in bad shape with decades of captivity having taken a toll.

Wildlife SOS provides these animals shelter, food and protection. The maintain land that is lush and green and enable recuperation for these animals. Critically, they work with governments, non-profits and others to respect local communities and educate them on animal welfare.

This charity is worthy of your financial support. The animals they help are as well.

I had the very great fortune to visit the Wildlife SOS Sanctuary several years ago. It was so wonderful to see how these majestic elephants were being cared for, particularly as they were so often victims of cruelty prior to their rescue.
Everyone at Wildlife SOS is 100% committed to their mission and to achieving standards of excellence with regards to care.
Wildlife SOS is one of the only humane options for non-human species of India- their work covers a wide spectrum of things: Running a sloth bear sanctuary, (bears rescued from abuse as "dancing bears", community outreach and education, and wildlife rehabilitation for a variety of species.
I am so proud to support the work of Wildlife SOS and hope to visit again in the future.

For over 20 years, this organization has been working to protect India's wildlife. Their work engages impacted communities, for example, rescuing leopards and other animals from wells while emphatically petitioning politicians to cover wells. This protects both the animals and the communities' drinking water. They helped to end the cruel practice of using begging/dancing bears in India, working with the bear handlers to train them for other occupations. They are tireless in their mission and continue to to great work for the people and animals of India

Mohan the elephant just touched my heart WSOS are an amazing charity and sanctuary. They are striving all the time to rescue release and work with the environment and changing world. The elephant hospital is genius and so desperately needed. But they don’t just do elephants they do so much more. If your in India do pop in to the sanctuary you will leave with such amazing memories.

I have volunteered for many different animal nonprofits during the past 32 years and have found all of them to be rewarding for the work they do and the people involved are so caring and compassionate.
I came to volunteer with Wildlifesos after meeting Nikki and Thomas Sharp walking our dogs.
I became very interested in their work and wanted to become involved. I have met both co-founders Kartick and Geeta and they are wonderful people who formed Widlifesos with a passion to end animal suffering and torture in India. But, they also realized this required a humanitarian effort for the people poaching wildlife and using them to try to make a living.
They have succeeded in helping the people with jobs, education, skills , conservation, anti-poaching team, habitat protection, sanctuaries for rescued and abused Sloth Bears and Elephants, rescuing any native wildlife for rehab and release if possible. An elephant hospital with an experienced vet staff and imaging equipment.
Employment for almost 300 staff.
They have managed to do all this since 1995 when Wildlifesos was founded to eliminate the Dancing Bears in India and they succeeded by 2009.
Just in the short time I have volunteered and be a small part of this wonderful charity, I have become friends with so many and everyone is passionate, dedicated to this mission. I feel that this charity is terrific and I rate them a 5 star.

Cathy Hatch

Wildlife SOS is a force multiplier for wildlife welfare. They provide both direct support for wildlife in need and educate the public to help foster a better future for both animals and the earth.

It is not often that one can see so directly the impact a donation has on an animal as with Wildlife S.O.S. The intimacy of the organization allows one to feel the direct saving impact the donation has in the lives of India's elephants and bears. The progress made, the individual animals saved, the follow-up provided, allow us to see a "start to finish" experience, deeply satisfying as a donor. One comes away realizing just how big of an impact a small donation has made.

I have been a donor for Wildlife SOS for a few years now and find this charity to be so purpose driven and careful about expenses. They focus on saving Elephants from lives of torture, starvation and solitude within India's concrete temples and begging on the streets for their handlers. If I can help one intelligent soul life a free life, it's time and money well spent.

Wildlife SOS is my go to charity.

Fact about wild elephants: once captive they can NEVER be wild again. What a heartbreaking statement. Elephants trapped in captivity. Forced to beg. Forced to give rides to tourists. When I first heard this from Wildlife SOS, I knew I needed to learn more about their work. This tireless group, co-founded by Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani years ago, have taken the protection and rescue of elephants, sloth and moon bears, leopards, primates, and reptiles and gone B E Y O N D what non-profits organizations typically do.
Rescuing. Conservation. Education. Habitat protection. Working with authorities for animal rescue and protection. India’s first specialized, state-of-the-art, completely equipped hospital for elephants.
This is important work Wildlife SOS does.
Being guardian to more than 20 rescued elephants and 300 bears, plus the leopards, primates, and reptiles who depend on them every single day is expensive. I encourage everyone to learn more about the remarkable—and successful— work that Wildlife SOS undertakes AND achieves.
Today is not over yet. This year is not over yet. Which means their teams are out today—and tomorrow—and will be next month—and will be next year—fighting the honorable fight for the rescue of captive elephants and protection of other at-risk wildlife.
Dear Wildlife SOS:
Thank you so much for all you’ve done for elephants and bears trapped in captivity, and the strong conservation efforts and protection you provide for leopards, primates, and reptiles. I have trust and confidence in your leadership and will do all I can to fund your mission.

What can I say about THE most compassionate non-profits that I support! I visited and volunteered last October at Wildlifesos and I saw firsthand what it means to devote your like to saving animals!

Amazing organization through and through. Not only do they rescue/rehabilitate wildlife of all kinds from horrific situations in India ( including elephants, bears, leopards and pretty much an animal of any size), they also dedicate much of their effort to educating children and adults about better ways to mitigate human/wildlife conflict. This in turn benefits communities in India. They have a very professional staff and experienced team of veterinarians. They also operate in a hands-on and transparent manner. When one donates/supports the organization, he/she can see the direct effect.

Wildlife SOS is without a doubt on my bucket list of places to visit and volunteer. They are one of the very few true sanctuaries that survives on donations and I'm proud to be a regular donor because I truly believe every dollar goes toward providing the best of care to rescued elephants, bears and other animals in need. It is thanks to this amazing organization that dancing bears are a thing of India's past and they actively seek out the worst of the worst treated elephants. In addition, Wildlife SOS makes a concerted effort in maintaining communication with the public by having weekly updates texted to people as well as video webinars after big rescues. I can't say enough about this agency! Love them and all they do!

I have been volunteering and supporting Wildlife SOS for the past few years. It means the world to me to volunteer for an organization that gives abused animals a voice when others do not. The care for these animals that is provided, along with educating those that can have positive impact on the elephants/bears lives makes it an honor for me to be a part of this wonderful organisation.

Wildlife SOS is a full service nonprofit. They not only rescue any type of wildlife in India and provide sanctuaries, but they educate the public as well. Their communication with and appreciation for donors and volunteers is outstanding.

Very professional nonprofit organization that is a force multiplier for wildlife in India.

This is a fantastic organization that i have had the pleasure of following for at least the last 5 years. I have been fortunate to meet both founders (Kartick and Geeta) and have been impressed with their warmth, generosity and the nearly impossible mission that they have taken on various fronts to protect India's wildlife. I have also had a chance to directly visit some of their sancturaries (both for bears and elephants) as well as one of the villages that they directly support (by providing training, eduction, and alternative livelihoods for people who were once exploiting sloth bears). This whole experience has been both eye-opening and humbling and Wildlife SOS is worth following, supporting, as well as getting your kids and family involved in.
Dr. K.

I visited India in October of 2016 and had heard about Wildlife SOS through friends. After researching both the sloth bear and elephant sanctuaries, I knew I needed to visit this place. Ultimately time allowed a visit just to the elephant sanctuary in Agra. This visit rocked my world and changed me in a way I cannot explain, unless you've experienced it for yourself. I will never forget my time there and the effect it had on me. I have nothing but admiration for the staff and volunteers of Wildlife SOS. What they do comes from a place of passion and caring. They have given these magnificent creatures the respect and life that they deserve and should of always had. Thank you Wildlife SOS for who you are and what you stand for and continue to fight the good fight!

I have been donating monthly to Wildlife SOS for about a year now and no plans to stop. This organization is amazing. I first noticed Wildlife SOS on social media, one of the things I noticed was that despite a very difficult and frustrating job of rescuing and caring for animals their posts are always positive and upbeat. I never skip over their posts on social media and even when they are sad posts they find some good to share. Rescuing animals at any level and in any place is an incredibly hard thing to do. I am so grateful for the dedication and transparency of this organization. I hope they are around for a very long time.

I have been interested in animal welfare for a long time now. I still remember visiting Agra in 2002 and being deeply disturbed by the sight and plight of the dancing bears lining the road between Delhi and Agra. I was desperate to do something but had no idea where to start, so imagine my delight at discovering WSOS and the initiative to rescue the dancing bears in India. I had the pleasure of visiting their sanctuary in Bangalore in 2006 and given a complete tour by Dr. Arun. It is such a safe and fantastic haven for the poor animals and I salute all those involved in this initiative. What struck me most was that the people who make these bears dance are just as reluctant to see them suffer, but see no other options to earn a livelihood. Wildlife SOS has a wonderful strategy in tackling the root of the problem - they have trained these people so they can either set up and run small businesses or continue to work with the bears, this time for their absolute welfare. This has made all the difference in tackling this issue and rescuing the bears.

I worked at Wildlife SOS as an intern at their Delhi office for 3 months. The amount of ambition in this organisation is astounding. Wildlife SOS already has several animal sancturaries around India saving every type of animal imaginable, ranging from birds, bears, cows, horses, snakes, leopards, bats, monkeys, and elephants. Their work involes a co-ordination of sting operations and informats for wildlife injustices, 24hr rescue hotlines, running several animal sancturaries and education for children and adults alike.

I found WildlifeSOS on Twitter. I am now following them. They Tweet the plight of the abused, disadvantaged & neglected wildlife as if each were their own. Compassion is shown with each message they Tweet. Individual animals are addressed and success and loss is shared with the Tweeter World. They are Educators and Saviors of the Animal Kingdom. Thank You Wildlife SOS for showing the world compassion and love for the animal kingdom. Without the wildlife, our world would never be the same. "Silence" would be the Sound of the Wild.

I have always felt deeply about wildlife conservation, environment protection and animal welfare but didnt find much opportunity to do something about it. But a chance meeting with Geeta Seshamani in 1998 got me involved with her work and now for the last 11 years, volunteering with Wildlife SOS (WSOS) as well as my capacity as a donor, has made me do substantial amount of constructive work towards the cause that is closest to my heart. They have a brilliant team of field workers, who are expertly trained and very passionate about the cause. There is never a moment in time when WSOS is not on the field rescuing endangered indegenious species, preserving habitat, saving lives, providing alternate employment to poaching communities. I volunteer for them time to time mostly on backend support. I also donate and coordinate with my peer for donations etc. I think WSOS is an extremely efficient organization in their field and need all the support they can get. I would go as far as to say that I think Wildlife SOS is the only hope for Indian wildlife.