ERT has the opportunity to share our findings at the International Elephant Conservation & Research Symposium in Dallas, Texas, from 5-8 December 2025, a global platform for advancing elephant science and conservation. But we need your help to get there.
We are reaching out with an exciting and urgent appeal: to present scientific evidence, based on more than a decade of Brett & ERT’s rewilding work, that reintegration into natural habitats is an ethical and practical solution for elephants held in captivity.
The International Elephant Conservation & Research Symposium, hosted by the International Elephant Foundation, is a key international forum for sharing advances in both wild and captive elephant care, conflict mitigation, health, behaviour, genetics, and solutions for their long-term survival.
This is a high-impact working symposium attended by:
Presenting at this event means putting rewilding elephants into the international scientific and policy spotlight and that matters now more than ever.
Our research offers groundbreaking, field-based scientific proof that rewilding (the return of previously captive elephants to sustainable life in the wild) is not only viable, but already succeeding.
We have data, case studies, and a framework that can inform elephant range states, conservation institutions, and wildlife policymakers. Without bringing this research to the global stage, its impact will remain limited.
This includes:
| Round-trip Flights from South Africa to the USA* | US$ 3,000 |
| Accommodation & Travel Costs | US$ 1,700 |
| Conference Fees | US$ 420 |
| Total Required | US$5,120 |
*Alternatively, donation of Air Miles to secure the flights would also be most welcome.
Any contribution you make helps us not just attend, but advocate for a future where elephants live freely, thrive naturally, and get to exist in ecosystems as the keystone species they are.
However, with your help, we can stand on an international stage and say:
“Rewilding is real. It works. And it’s time the world takes it seriously.”
Help us bring this message to the global stage. We are determined to make rewilding a real path forward for elephants.
Thank you for your support!
