ITINERARY
October 6 / Day 1: New Delhi, India
Meals Included: None
Arrival at Indira Gandhi International airport terminal 3
A WILDLIFE SOS representative will receive you outside the terminal exit. You will then be escorted to your hotel in a private vehicle.
Overnight – Roseate / New Delhi
Note: Standard Check-In time at hotels is 2 PM. Your room will not be ready until 2 PM on 1st October 2025. In case your flight arrives earlier on the 1st October then you are requested to pre-book an additional night’s accommodation. WILDLIFE SOS will be happy to assist you with booking additional pre-tour nights with the help of their in-country travel partners
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October 7 / Day 2: Gurugram/New Delhi
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
If trees and streets could talk, the stories that would pour out of Delhi would keep listeners mesmerized for years. With a history as a capital, Delhi has seen the tides of several rulers from the pages of epic poems like the Mahabharata, the Tughlaq, and Mughal empires from Persia to the imperial colonial armies and the present-day government. Looted, plundered, and resurrected over the years, Delhi emerges from the ashes of her past to take her place in the world as a global capital – politically, culturally and commercially.
We commence our adventures through India with a visit to a Friendicoes – a domestic animal shelter located a few hours drive from Delhi in a town called Gurugram. Nearby, Wildlife SOS operates a 24-hour rescue and rehabilitation center for wildlife which we have an opportunity to tour in the company of the Wildlife SOS founders, Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani. Here we will get our first glimpses of the many species that Wildlife SOS is able to rehabilitate. We will have lunch at the facility.
On our return drive to New Delhi we will drive past Lutyen’s Delhi, named after Sir Edward Lutyen, commissioned by the then British Government along with Sir Herbert Baker to design the architecture of a new administrative Capital of India. We’ll visit India Gate, a monument commemorating the sacrifices of over 70,000 Indian soldiers in the British Forces during the World War I, the North Block and South block that house the administrative offices of the Federal Government of India, the circular shaped Parliament building first inaugurated in the year 1927, and the majestic Rashtrapati Bhawan, (President House) the official residence of the President of India.
Tonight we convene for Happy Hour and a Welcome Dinner with your hosts and fellow supporters of WILDLIFE SOS.
Overnight – Roseate / New Delhi
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October 8 / Day 3: Agra
Journey Time – Approx. 4 hour drive
Meals Included: Breakfast / Light Lunch / Dinner
After breakfast at the hotel, we head to the world’s largest sloth bear rescue center, the Agra Bear Rescue Facility, where almost 200 rescued bears reside. Most of these bears at this center have been rescued from the gruesome 400-year-old practice of dancing bears. Upon our arrival to the ABRF, a light lunch will be served.
Tour of the ABRF will include the wildlife hospital, education center and the extension center across the Yamuna River. We will then take you on a river safari, viewing many migratory bird species who use the Yamuna River throughout the year. We will hear from one of our senior education officers, and listen to stories from those who have been taking care of these bears for several years.
Simple home style vegetarian lunch will be served at Wildlife SOS centers during your visits.
We head to the Volunteer House at 5pm for dinner.
Optional evening activity: Henna Hand “Tattooing” Night
Dinner & Overnight – Volunteer House / Mathura
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October 9 / Day 4: Agra
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Elephant Care Module 1: Introduction to Wildlife SOS & Elephant Care Basics
After breakfast, we depart for the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre where we will interact with the staff, elephant keepers, and education officers learning about the stories of the 30 elephants that Wildlife SOS has rescued. Lunch which will be set up at the deck overlooking the elephants.
We then embark on a tour of the elephant center where we will meet the rescued elephants, who have a long, traumatic history of neglect and abuse but have finally found a safe haven surrounded by people who love and care for them. We then participate in some hands-on activities of setting up enrichments in elephant enclosures and then observe them while they playfully munch on the surprise treats we’ve left for them! Our day ends at 5pm when we head back to the hotel.
Morning:
– Welcome & Orientation: Introduction to Wildlife SOS, mission and values, and an overview of the workshop. Tour the ECCC facilities before meeting elephants.
– Meet the Elephants: Small group introductions to the elephants, sharing their rescue stories and current care routines.
Afternoon:
– Understanding Elephant Behavior: Learn to read body language, stress signals, and emotions unique to elephants with traumatic pasts.
Evening:
– Q&A Session with Wildlife SOS Caregivers: Open discussion about their experiences in the field and insights into elephant care.
We head to the Volunteer House at 5pm for dinner.
Optional evening activity: Bollywood Movie Night
Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight – Volunteer House / Mathura
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October 10 / Day 5: Agra
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Module 2: Daily Health Care & Physical Welfare + Module 3: Conservation & Community Awareness
After breakfast we’ll visit India’s first and only elephant hospital. You’ll see state-of-the-art equipment that Wildlife SOS uses for the treatment of their rescued elephants. We then meet with the veterinarians who will talk about the health condition of the elephants at the hospital while you observe the examination and treatments like laser therapy and foot care. We will then head to the enclosures to observe on-site treatments.
Morning:
– Facility Tour: Guided tour of Wildlife SOS’s elephant hospital facilities, focusing on the design for rehabilitation and welfare including use of heavy machinery, crane, and hydro-therapy.
– Elephant Anatomy & Physiology: Overview of basic anatomy, health concerns, and unique characteristics of rescued elephants.
Afternoon:
– Health Monitoring Basics: Signs of illness, common health issues in rescued elephants, body scoring, and the basics of regular check-ups.
Veterinary Treatments: View use of diagnostic tools, x-ray, basic veterinary procedures, wound care, laser therapy, and ultrasound.
– Documenting Health & Welfare: Understanding how Wildlife SOS documents daily care, health monitoring, and rehabilitation progress.
Evening:
– Conservation Challenges: Presentation on the challenges Wildlife SOS faces in elephant conservation and how individuals can support these efforts.
– Community Education Workshop: Importance of educating communities about elephant protection, with a focus on reducing human-elephant conflict.
– Ethics in Elephant Care: Group discussion on ethical care practices and Wildlife SOS’s approach to conservation.
Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight – Volunteer House / Mathura
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October 11 / Day 6: Agra
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
It is believed that Agra’s history dates back to the times of the great Indian epic Mahabharata. Like many cities in Northern India, it became a bastion of Mughal rulers in the 16th Century. But Agra came into prominence in the 17th Century when the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan, placed a Jewel in the Mughal crown with his creation of the Taj Mahal for his beloved Queen Mumtaz.
After breakfast, we will drive a short distance to board battery operated vans to access the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal. As we walk towards the entrance, your expert guides will share stories of its creation and subtle nuances of its architecture. While we give you time to admire its beauty in the subtle morning light, it is natural that you would also want to get into that ideal spot for a picture with the Taj in the background.
We then walk closer to the monument to admire the finer details of the pietra dura work (inlay art). We spend some time navigating its perfectly symmetrical sides and taking in the views before walking back towards the exit where our battery operated buggy waits to take us back to the parking where we’ll board our bus back to the hotel.
Lunch today will be at Sheroes Cafe in Agra.
After lunch, we will visit the Agra Fort. On the right bank of the Yamuna river, is one of the most important and robustly built strongholds of the Mughals, embellished with a number of richly decorated buildings.
Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight – Volunteer House / Mathura
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October 12 / Day 7: Agra
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Module 4: Nutrition & Enrichment Feeding + Module 5: Social Rehabilitation
After breakfast, commence your drive back to the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre.
Morning:
– Elephant Nutrition 101: Dietary needs, dental care/problems, meal planning, and common nutritional issues in rescued elephants.
– Introduction to Enrichment and Mental Stimulation: Learn about the psychological impact of enrichment and how it helps with recovery and quality of life.
– Food Preparation Workshop: Hands-on meal prep activity, preparing balanced meals with a focus on dietary enrichment.
– Enrichment Feeding Techniques: Explore techniques to make feeding mentally stimulating, mimicking natural foraging behaviors.
Afternoon:
– Guided Feeding Session: Participants assist in feeding sessions, loading box feeders, hanging enrichments, etc.
– Creating Enrichment Tools: Hands-on crafting session where participants create enrichment items tailored to the individual needs of Wildlife SOS elephants.
– Practical Enrichment Session: Participants distribute enrichment items and observe elephants engaging with them – taking notes combined with the knowledge learned thus far. What behaviors are the elephants exhibiting.
– Bathing Techniques: Best practices for safe elephant bathing. (viewing only). Overview of pool cleaning and importance of pools as a source of enrichment.
– Positive Reinforcement Training Workshop: Free contact vs. protected contact
– Foot Care & Pad Health Workshop: Learn to clean and care for elephant feet, a critical aspect of welfare for elephants rescued from poor conditions.
Evening:
– Social Interaction and Herd Dynamics: Understanding social rehabilitation, fostering positive interactions, and introducing elephants to new social environments.
– Debrief and Reflection: Share insights and ask questions about the day’s activities.
Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight – Volunteer House / Mathura
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October 13 / Day 8: Bharatpur/Fatehpur Sikri
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Visit Bharatpur and Fatehpur Sikri
Approx. drive: 1-2 hours
After breakfast, we begin our drive to Bharatpur to explore Keoladeo National Park. This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park
Following lunch we commence our drive to Fatehpur Sikri. Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid.
Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight – Volunteer House / Mathura
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October 14 / Day 9: Agra
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
For our second to last day in India, we’ll return to the Agra Bear Rescue Facility to experience what it’s like to be a bear-keeper for the day. We’ll feed the bears their meals, their treat enrichments, and build enrichment structures for them to climb on.
Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight – Volunteer House / Mathura
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October 15 / Day 10: Agra/New Delhi
Journey Time – Approx. 2-3 hour drive.
Morning:
– Certification Ceremony: Presentation of completion certificates and a group photo with the Wildlife SOS team.
Afternoon:
– Farewell Gathering: Closing session to reflect on the experience, share personal takeaways, and discuss ways to support Wildlife SOS in the future.
Following the Farewell Gathering we will drive to Aerocity in New Delhi to prepare for our departures home.
Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Check-Into your accommodations. Standard Check-In time is 2 PM.
Note: Standard Check-In time is 2 PM. Check-out time is latest 12:00pm (noon) on 11th October. Your guides will advise you of your pick-up timings for your individual airport transfers according to the departure time of your flights. A WILDLIFE SOS representative will provide assistance with check-in formalities at the airport.
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October 16 / Day 11: Departure
Meals Included: None
Take off from Delhi on your respective homebound flights. We thank you for participating in the Elephant Care Masterclass and we wish you safe travels back home.
