Projects
1000 Echoes for Elephants
Elephants speak in frequencies we cannot hear. Low vibrations. Deep connection. Messages that hold families together. Now it’s our turn to respond. Join us in building the Shambira Research Centre (previously the Limpopo Reserach Centre) and help raise $280,000 (R4,5 million) to secure the future of ethical elephant research.
Every echo costs just $200 and carries further than you think.
Semi-habituated elephants live at the intersection of wild systems and human influence. If we care about ethical conservation, we need evidence.
THE SHAMBIRA RESEARCH CENTRE
A permanent, purpose-built research centre dedicated to ethical elephant research.
The Shambira Research Centre will help us understand how environmental factors, including temperature, rainfall, seasonal changes, and herd dynamics, affect stress levels and overall well-being in semi-habituated African savanna elephants. By combining behavioural observations with non-invasive dung sample analysis, we gain a clearer picture of how elephants respond to both natural and human-influenced environments.
The centre will:
- Conduct non-invasive dung hormone analysis
- Monitor glucocorticoid levels as indicators of stress
- Track environmental variables such as rainfall and temperature
- Connect behavioural observations with biological data
- Build reliable datasets for long-term conservation strategy
We already collaborate with researchers, including:
- Dr André Ganswindt, Director of the Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria
- Dr Yolanda Pretorius, Wildlife Ecologist
The new laboratory gives this work a permanent scientific home.
LIMPOPO'S ECHO LIVES ON AT HERD
In September 2025, HERD made the devastating decision to euthanise Limpopo, one of our beloved elephants, to ensure the safety of both humans and elephants.This followed the tragic events of 13 September 2025, when Limpopo, fatally attacked Israel Shambira, one of our most experienced and deeply respected carers. Israel had worked with the Jabulani herd and HERD for over two decades and was loved by both his colleagues and the elephants he cared for.
This tragedy highlighted the importance of better understanding elephant behaviour and predicting stressors.
In their memory, HERD is establishing this research centre dedicated to monitoring elephant stress levels through regular faecal analysis. By combining these results with behavioural observations, we hope to better understand the emotional well-being of our herd and, as far as possible, prevent situations that could compromise the safety of both elephants and carers.
The Shambira Research Centre honours two lives whose stories became forever intertwined: Israel Shambira, a devoted elephant carer, and Limpopo, a beloved member of the Jabulani herd.
Through research, learning and conservation, their legacies continue to shape our commitment to understanding elephants, improving their care and contributing to a future where both elephants and the people who care for them are better supported. The Shambira Research Centre, will be a daily reminder of the lives we lost in a single week. It is a call to learn, to grow, and to honour both Israel Shambira and Limpopo not only through remembrance, but through meaningful change.
The centre represents our commitment to learning through science, advancing our understanding of elephant behaviour and wellbeing, and helping build a safer future for both elephants and the people who care for them.
Buy an Echo. Leave a Legacy.
Forever immortalise your love of elephants by buying one of the 1000 Echoes for Elephants. These 1000 Echoes for Elephants symbolise HERD’s commitment to better listening to the needs of these amazing animals.
For every echo you donate, a name of your choice will be displayed forever at HERD. Donate an echo in your name, in honour of a loved one, or as a business.
The names will form part of our Echo Wall inside The Shambira Research Centre. The Echo Wall is composed of 1000 metal plates, arranged in the shape of a sound wave for the name “Shambira”.
1 Echo – $200 | R2,000
- Your chosen name engraved on a metal plate
- Permanent placement on the Echo Wall
- Part of a 1000-piece soundwave forming the name “Shambira”
- Located inside the Shambira Research Centre
Donate:
- In your own name
- In honour of a loved one
- As a business
- As a collective gift
Only 1000 Echoes will ever exist.
Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
fundraise for herd
Would you like to host a third-party fundraiser in aid of the Limpopo Memorial Laboratory?
Get your fundraiser cap on and make a difference in the world.
We are extremely grateful for any interest in supporting HERD and fundraising initiatives are without doubt a vital way to help, especially when you can’t donate financially yourself.
