The Wyss Academy for Nature established a partnership with the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury, Laos. Located in Nam Tien, one of the 200 provincial protected areas increasingly under threat, the ECC provides a home to 10% of Laos captive elephant population. Maintaining a healthy captive elephant population in Laos is considered crucial, both by the Government of Laos and the conservation community, as it represents a vital resource to supplement the remaining wild elephant population in the adjacent Nam Pouy National Park.

The ECC serves as the base for rewilding and supporting the gene pool of the dwindling wild elephant population. Through this partnership, various innovative species and habitat conservation approaches with co-benefits for communities are being tested and implemented. This includes combining traditional and scientific knowledge in a mahout-to-ranger program or piloting a new research-based business model for conservation focused on eco-tourism. In addition, ECC engages with the local communities through outreach programs in environmental and conservation focused education programs.