MYAKKA CITY, Fla. — Hosing, scrubbing, and all around bathing is a routine that takes place every morning at the Myakka Elephant Ranch.

The experience, which you get to take part in, is all aimed at conservation. At least that’s what founder and ranch president Lou Barreda hopes you’ll take away from your day spent with their three African elephants, Lou, Patty and Carol. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Myakka Elephant Ranch allows guests to help feed and take care of the elephants

  • The ranch's owner also works to help wild elephant populations

  • Their hope is that guests will get excited about helping elephants after they learn more

“It’s all nonprofit and all about education and really to raise money for elephant conservation, but we’ve actually had elephants on this property since 1986,” Barreda said. 

Barreda and his family have owned the current property they’re on since 1986, but his love of animals started even before that. He grew up from a very young age with elephants on their family property. His parents first started working with them and finding a passion for protecting them after attending an elephant conservation conference in South Africa. 

“Right now we are working on building anti-poaching ranger stations in Uganda and a couple projects with the Sumatran Asian Elephant that we are really hoping will make a difference,” Barreda said. 

However, it wasn’t until three years ago that they became a fully established nonprofit and started expanding their experiences for guests where you can take part in the feeding and the daily bathing of each of their elephants. 

Barreda’s hope is that allowing visitors to get these up close experiences will allow them to learn about the plight of elephants in the wild and walk away from their encounters with a newfound love for the conservation of elephants. 

“Unfortunately, the elephant population is declining. In 1930 we had over 10 million elephants roaming Africa, but today it’s about 300,000 to 350,000 African elephants left. Asian Elephants are far more endangered. There are only about 40,000 left,” Barreda explained. “The main reason is all the poaching going on for their ivory. They say about 100 a day are going down in Africa from the poaching alone.” 

The Myakka Elephant Ranch is open year round but visits are scheduled by appointment only. They do not offer walk in options, so call ahead first. For more information, head to their website, https://www.myakkaelephantranch.org.