Honouring the Wisdom of Matriarchs this World Elephant Day

Every year on August 12, World Elephant Day, brings people together across the globe to celebrate these extraordinary animals, raise awareness of the challenges they face and inspire action to protect them. It is a day to reflect on the vital role elephants play in ecosystems, the bonds they share with one another and the lessons they teach us through their way of life.

In 2025, the theme, Matriarchs and Memories, a powerful reminder of the leadership, knowledge and care that female elephants pass down through generations. Elephant matriarchs are not only guardians of their herds but also living libraries of survival, navigating landscapes with wisdom learned over a lifetime.

At HERD, we are privileged to witness this leadership every day in our own herd. Our founder, Adine Roode, shares a deeply personal reflection on the matriarch Tokwe, her strength, her sacrifices and the lessons she has quietly taught over the years. It is a letter that speaks to the heart of what it means to guide, protect and nurture, both as an elephant and as a human.

Matriarchs and Memories | A Letter from Adine

Matriarch Tokwe is my friend and confidant. I am 10 years older than her, although not quite as grey as she is, and yet I have relied on her hugely over the years. I have turned to her for help often, for elephant orphans and for myself. I’ve spoken into those large ears and asked for guidance as I raised my own children and led my family as a single mother. I’ve asked her to show me the light when the clouds overcame me.

What has she taught me? What have I seen and heard standing beside her massive grey stature, strong in every way, always ready to protect but also capable of such gentleness with the touch of her trunk and blink of her eyes.

A matriarch will lead her family and herd over many kilometres, sometimes across borders. She knows the way, where to go to find food and water, just as her mother or previous matriarch did. It is a tough road. There are threats of drought, storms, humans. When a matriarch’s daughter gives birth to a new calf, she needs to balance the protection of the most vulnerable while looking out for the greater herd.

I think about raising my own children and how it is for women teaching and leading their sons and daughters. Will the young remember the road, how their mothers pushed forward through hardship for the sake of the family, how she didn’t stop when they complained? Will they hold it against her, question her decisions? Will they change with the generation and take on new ideas about how things are done?

Tokwe is observant, quiet, moving with strength, never a complaint. Sometimes she stops and stays behind the herd, keeping a watch over them; sometimes she takes the lead. She focuses on the survival of the whole. She has to. It is her duty.

This kind of responsibility is not without hard decisions but she is leading by example and I imagine she hopes the young will learn from her, will accept that sometimes a matriarch has to make sacrifices, to focus on the whole herd. She may not always be present for her daughters and sons but there are allomothers who step in. It’s the elephant way. The way of the village. Many trunks help raise the little ones.

Tokwe can’t think of herself in the hard moments. She has to think of survival. But there are times, and they’re beautiful to see, when she can lie down in the mud and splash like the others, take a load off.

She knows her herd will be there for her. She knows her children will grow into strong adults as they have her genes. But what matters most is that they are healthy, and they are content.

I am sure Tokwe must feel some of the pain of her past, and of orphans lost. We share in hardship, as mothers, as leaders. The losses weigh heavily, more than you can admit. But being a matriarch is a calling, a baton passed. Only a matriarch understands the quiet sacrifices, the hardships you don’t have time to dwell on. You wonder if your children will understand the path. You wonder if your daughter will be the next matriarch, your son a dominant bull. Perhaps it is written in the stars.

I see Tokwe raising her trunk to the sky as she picks up new scents nearby, always on the lookout, securing her herd before taking a moment for herself. In the quiet of the night, she lies down to rest. I imagine her remembering all the days and years and ancient generations that led to this moment. I imagine she is thankful for it all, surrendering her trust to the big, starry universe around her.

As we reflect on the journey of the elephants in our care, and the shared hope for their future, we’re reminded of the vital role each of us plays in protecting them. Your compassion, your voice and your support make all the difference. From all of us at HERD, and from the elephants who inspire us daily: Happy World Elephant Day.