About Anathavalam

Anathavalam, is going to be the prime showcase of "Sons of Sahyas" in God`s own country. Spread across 4.75 acres of pristine land, enclosed by greenery and picturesque surroundings our elephant sanctuary is truly a sight to behold. Our prime attractions will be the over twenty elephants that are taken care of on these premises. Watching these magnificent beasts will truly inspire the adventurer in anyone.

“You know, they say an elephant never forgets. But what they don’t tell you is that you never forget an elephant.” – Bill Murray in the highly-acclaimed movie, ‘Larger Than Life’. Yes, a day with the most generous and intelligent species on earth is a day well-spent. Kaveri Elephant Park is Kerala’s first ethical animal sanctuary where tourists are given provision to get close with elephants in a safe and well monitored environment. Kaveri Elephant Park aims to entertain tourists with its thrilling elephant safaris through the verdant and rolling landscapes of the sanctuary, fun-loving travellers from all around the world are given the opportunity to perch atop these gigantic beasts and ride them and to know what it's like to be a mahout. Riding an elephant is an extremely profound experience that you will remember fondly for a lifetime. It is equally pleasing to watch the happy herd of elephants living peacefully, playing, sharing the love and experiencing the great care that they have for each other. If you are a nature lover and you love elephants, look no further than Kaveri Elephant Park!!!!!!!

Our History

Built with the distinct vision to help the magnificent Asiatic elephant live and flourish in abundance, Sri. V. Shaji opened Kerala’s first ethical animal sanctuary in Kollam district Kerala; with our first elephant a cow named Girija being given to us by the founder's father Sri. G. Vishwambharan. As a nature enthusiast and a devout follower of Lord Ganesha, building a safe haven for elephants was his dream. The idea of constructing an eco-friendly environment for elephants budded from the alarming fact that the population of Asian elephants had declined drastically over the years. Elephants are poached for their ivory tusks and the poachers behind this illicit ivory trade were the primary reason behind the dwindling elephant population. Here at Kaveri Elephant Park, we rear around twenty elephants. 

Mission and Vision

Our mission is to build a natural ecosystem that is committed to providing the utmost care and assistance to India’s captive elephant population. We also aim to arrange innovative and educational ecotourism activities, through which we rescue, rehabilitate and rear the planet’s smartest species, elephants. Our flagship project, Kaveri Elephant Park is set to work towards achieving the following goals:

• To become a global leader in building eco-friendly shelters for elephants through various research and education programs.
• To expand our operations by incorporating the assistance of local communities and to ensure that the species get outstanding rehabilitation.

We envision creating a leading conservation community that focuses on raising awareness on various threats faced by elephants and facilitate the benefits of various international organizations through innovative education programs. 

Our Founder

Kaveri Elephant Park (Anathavalam); is one of the few ethical tourist oriented places that focuses on interaction with elephants. Sri. V. Shaji opened Kerala’s first ethical animal sanctuary in Kollam district Kerala. As a nature enthusiast and a believer of Yugen, building a safe haven for elephants was his dream.