The Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre is located in Temerloh, Pahang. This elephant sanctuary is part of the Krau Wildlife Reserve and was established in 1989 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Malaysia. The Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre is the base of the Elephant Relocation Team that has been rescuing elephants which have lost their habitat due to various reasons, since 1974.

The elephants are brought to the center and rehabilitated so that they could be relocated to other areas such as the National Park (Taman Negara). The elephants that are kept here are usually orphans or elephants that have been seriously injured or ill. Healthy rescued elephants are not brought here but taken to their relocation site directly.

The Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary is located about 2 hours away from Kuala Lumpur along the East Coast Expressway. The exit point will be at the Lanchang Interchange. Just keep following the signs to Kuala Gandah or you could use one of the GPS Navigator apps on your phone. There are also tours that you can book to take you there. The Sanctuary is opened daily from 10.30 am to 4 pm.

Coming into the area, you will not find any entry fees. Instead, you can purchase food to feed the elephants as well as give a generous donation to the center to help with the costs. The Kuala Gandah Sanctuary is actually maintained by the Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) which is funded by the government.

So, if you have never seen an elephant before, this is the right place to be. The elephants are mainly in enclosures where you can feed them. There is an open enclosure where the elephant handlers will perform small displays with the elephants after their morning walks in the surrounding jungle.

You will also get an opportunity to bathe the elephants in a small stream if weather permits and depending on the river conditions. There are usually two sessions, one with the young elephants, and the other with the adult animals. If you are planning to experience bathing an elephant, bring along a change of clothes as you will be getting very wet.

There are many tourists that visit this sanctuary.  Usually, it is preferred that you make an appointment before coming to avoid too large crowds. But everyone that do come, really enjoy themselves. There is a small café operating where you could purchase food and drinks as well as snacks. So, you could actually spend almost the whole day there taking part in the activities.

Before you leave, do drop in the office to make your donation. Saving the animals that are sick or injured will ensure the population stays strong. Also, wild elephants that destroy property and crops are caught and relocated to prevent injuries and loss of income to farmers due to damaged crops.

If you have ever had the opportunity to see a wild elephant in its natural habitat, you will know how dangerous it can be. Even the slightest provocation can cause it to attack. But when you see the animals at this sanctuary, you will realize just what a good job these handlers have done in taming the beasts.