Giving Day for Elephants 2026

When is Giving Day for Elephants? 

Giving Day for Elephants occurs on the third Tuesday of April. This year, it falls on 21 April, 2026.

The challenge: shrinking space and rising conflict 

For the more than 330,000 elephants roaming East and southern Africa, their world is getting smaller. With 60% of their range falling outside of protected areas, they risk their lives when they stray across these borders, encountering poachers, snares, and human settlements. 

As elephants’ space shrinks and their resources disappear due to drought and human activity, they are forced to move closer to people’s homes. Sometimes this results in crop raiding, destruction of property, and interactions that may be deadly to humans or elephants. But by reconnecting landscapes so elephants can freely roam in wild spaces, further away from people, we can protect those who live in close proximity to wildlife. 

IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative aims to do just that, by securing and restoring vast wildlife connectivity across East and southern Africa so elephants and people can coexist safely. Giving Day helps power this long-term vision for a future where elephants thrive in connected, climate-resilient landscapes. 

A second chance for orphaned calves 

Across Africa and Asia, IFAW and our partners rescue and rehabilitate orphaned and displaced elephant calves, offering a lifeline when crisis strikes.  

Today, nearly 100 young elephants are in our care after losing their families to poaching, conflict, habitat loss, or the impacts of floods and drought. With expert veterinary treatment, round-the-clock support, and years of rehabilitation, these calves are given the chance to heal, grow, and one day return to the wild.  

By saving individual elephants, we are strengthening populations, supporting coexistence with local communities, and protecting the ecosystems that elephants help sustain. 

How IFAW and supporters are helping 

Another powerful tool in our conservation work is satellite collaring. By fitting elephants with GPS-enabled collars, we can track their movements in real time and gather vital data that informs conservation planning.  

We’ve recently collared 24 elephants in Zimbabwe Given herd dynamics, these collars provide insight into the movements of as many as 300 wild elephants in total. In Zambia, we also fitted collars on a group of rehabilitated elephants following their release, allowing us to monitor their integration into wild herds and reduce the risk of conflict. 

This science-led approach enables us to respond quickly, support communities, and ensure elephants remain safe as they roam. 

Why elephant conservation matters?  

Elephants are known as ‘ecosystem engineers’ because of the extraordinary role they play in shaping their environments, including plants and animals.  

When elephants dig for water, they create access points that other animals rely on. As they move through dense vegetation, they open pathways that smaller species use to reach food and shelter. Through their herbivorous diets and long migrations, they disperse seeds across vast distances, helping forests regenerate. 

Healthy forests are essential carbon sinks and produce significant amounts of the oxygen we breathe. Elephants also store carbon in their bodies, contributing to climate regulation even after their lifetimes. 

Protecting elephants is not only about saving a species. It is about safeguarding biodiversity, stabilising the climate, and supporting the communities who share these landscapes. 

How can you join Giving Day for Elephants?  

There are many powerful ways you can join to protect elephants and support IFAW’s lifesaving work, from giving and speaking out to proudly showing your support: 

• Donate to help save lives, stop wildlife crime, and ensure elephants can roam safely 
• Advocate and make your voice heard for the animals that need you most 
• Sign up for our email updates and stay connected on the issue you care about 
• Wear your IFAW elephant merch proudly and help spread awareness wherever you go 
• Explore many other ways to get involved and make a meaningful impact for elephants and all vulnerable animals