The goal is to give the elephants all the space and resources they need to enjoy their retirement. “As you can imagine, it’s a challenge to feed and house 34 Asian elephants,” Gadd said. “Our family is committed to improving the lives of individual elephants and ensuring the survival of elephants in the wild,” Mark Walter said. As part of the project, the wildlife refuge has brought in a team of experts to look after the elephants. An estimated 30,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants, which are classified as an endangered species, remain in the wild, Gadd said.