Howletts to build new elephant house for UK’s largest African herd

Canterbury: A herd of 12 African elephants at Howletts Wild Animal Park will be in the spotlight on World Elephant Day, as the park calls on people to support and protect the animals.

Howletts, near Canterbury, is home to what it describes as the UK’s largest herd of African elephants, spanning three generations of the same family. The group includes younger elephants Nguvu and Oku, both six, and Nusu, seven, who live alongside their mothers and other family members.

The park recently confirmed the herd will remain in Kent permanently, after international efforts to identify a suitable rewilding project in Africa. That decision has prompted the Howletts Wild Animal Trust to plan the most significant investment in its elephant programme to date. A planning application has already been submitted to Canterbury City Council for a new purpose-built elephant house and expanded facilities.

The proposed development includes a new elephant house, an enlarged outdoor habitat, pools, wallowing areas, dusting zones, outdoor shelters, and indoor sand areas. All have been designed by the park’s animal team, alongside improvements to educational and conservation facilities.

Tony Kelly, managing director at Howletts, said the investment reflected the park’s “long-term commitment to the welfare of this incredible herd.”World Elephant Day, observed on Wednesday, is an international awareness day highlighting the challenges facing African and Asian elephants in captivity and in the wild. It was founded in 2012 by Canadian Patricia Sims and Thailand’s Elephant Reintroduction Foundation.

To mark the occasion, Howletts will host activities throughout Elephant Week, running from 10 to 16 August, focused on conservation and education.