You don't hear much about them, but smack in the middle of the Malaysian peninsula, a group of officials from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks quietly work away to ensure life is all right with our larger cousins.

The Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre, about a two-hour drive from KL, was established in 1989 as a sanctuary for orphaned and translocated pachyderms. It's the only setup of its kind in the country. The centre also promotes public awareness of the elephant’s plight in Malaysia; visitors are welcome throughout the year to join the elephant activities, help wash them in the nearby river and participate in feeding.

Anak Bangsa Malaysia ELAINE CHEH sends in these pictures of her visit there.

Refugee status: They found this elephant wandering at the border of Thailand and brought him to Kuala Gandah. What's suprising about this big boy is that he can understand the Burmese language. Staff at the Kuala Gandah Elephant Santuary had to learn Burmese in order to give him instructions. Talk about crossing borders.

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