Orphaned Elephants Are Keeping Warm with Giant Handmade Sweaters

When unexpected and record-breaking cold weather swept through one of Save the Elephant Foundation’s elephant camps at Winga Baw in Myanmar, it exposed the orphaned elephants that live there to dangerous conditions. Thanks to the help of an international community who knit and crotchet blankets and quilts for orphaned animals, these elephants were able to bundle up for the winter weather and stay warm.

A wicked cold front from China caused temperatures to drop as low as 32°F. The unusually cold temperature posed a serious threat to the baby elephants living at the camp. Typically, Asian elephants live in warmer climates where the lowest temperatures average in the 70s.

Workers at the camp lit fires and used straw to help keep the elephants warm, but Blankets for Baby Rhinos took an extra step and sent some of their colorful blankets to the camp on a plane from the United Arab Emirates. The group, founded by Sue Brown, unites a team of over a thousand crafters from all over the globe. Not only do they make the blankets seen in these pictures, they also make stuffed toys for other orphaned animals including monkeys, meerkats, and a giraffe.

Save the Elephant Foundation has 28 camps throughout Asia to house animals who have been rescued from the cruel tourism industry.

These elephants have led hard lives. Separated from their families; beaten, prodded, forced to entertain tourists; and housed in unsanitary, unnatural conditions, these little ones get a second chance at life when they arrive at Save the Elephant Foundation’s camps.

While not everyone can dedicate their lives to saving elephants, Blankets for Baby Rhinos shows that anyone can make a difference. With just a little time and effort, thousands of people have contributed to these baby elephants’ wellbeing and warmth, making their lives a little easier.