Elephant Nature Park: An Ethical Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand

The Elephant Nature Park, positioned within the Mae Taeng Valley 60kms north of Chiang Mai, is an excellent place to go to.

The Park operates as each a sanctuary & a rescue centre for distressed & sick Asian Elephants from throughout Thailand. If you’re desirous about working with elephants, in a really relaxed, pure & moral atmosphere this can be a nice tour for you.

A information to visiting Elephant Nature Park

The Elephant Nature Park is only one hour’s drive north of the Thai metropolis of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, and is positioned within the stunning pure settings of the Mae Taeng Valley, which enjoys a scenic river operating by it and is surrounded by the densely forested mountains of the world. The park operates as each a sanctuary & a rescue centre for distressed & sick Asian Elephants from throughout Thailand.

The park, which covers a complete land space of 800 hectares (2,000 acres), was based in 1996 and was the brainchild of Sangduen “Lek” Chailert & her husband Adam. Lek (that means “small” in Thai) grew up in a neighborhood village not too far-off from the park, and it has been by the countless arduous work of Adam & Lek plus the continued help of her household that the park has been capable of proceed to broaden and grow to be profitable.

An moral elephant sanctuary in Thailand

The “targets” of the Elephant Nature Park are quite simple but thought scary: 

• To supply a sanctuary to an endangered species – Asian Elephant numbers in Thailand have decreased dramatically during the last century from over 100,000 right down to lower than 2,000 animals left immediately. 
• To assist restore the ecological steadiness by rain forest restoration – the park is finishing up an aggressive programme of tree planting, with the goal to replant 25 acres of timber a 12 months for five years to assist re-introduce the rain forest & with it promote the crops & animals that depend on it. 
• To protect the cultural integrity of the local people – by creating employment and buying agricultural merchandise regionally the park helps the villagers to maintain their distinct tradition. 
• To advertise the park as a method of schooling – for guests, people, examine teams, faculties and events, with the important thing focus being on the plight of the endangered native species offered in an entertaining but significant means.

The elephants at The Elephant Nature Park

The elephants that reside within the sanctuary of the Elephant Nature Park are primarily from non-public house owners having been acquired by negotiated charges. A few of the majestic beasts merely “outlived” their usefulness to the Hill Tribe Individuals who used them for logging functions, as using the animals has diminished resulting from each mechanisation & a lot stricter controls on the administration of Thailand’s forests, others had been so badly handled that they turned weak & sick, subsequently ineffective to their trekking camp house owners.

The park is now residence to over 30 elephants of all ages from only one 12 months outdated proper as much as “grand-daddy” at over 70 years outdated! The Elephant has the same lifespan to people, and kind households of comparable composition and period. A few of the “kids” have moms however all have “aunties”. There are elephants that assist out, or have adopted them, even when not genetically associated. There are a few older male elephants together with the king of the clan.

There’s NO elephant driving right here

Thailand as a rustic is FULL of elephant “experiences” out there to vacationers, you’ll be able to trip them, watch them paint footage, play drums, play soccer, do a trick or two for meals, or lug provides on trekking adventures, however this park is totally different as a result of it doesn’t permit ANY of those merciless exploitations.

It’s residence to elephants which were abused on this method or orphaned or rescued over the previous ten years.

Actions at Elephant Nature Park

Most vacationers go to the Elephant Nature Park as “day-trippers’, the park does additionally provide 2-7 day stays, & even “volunteer” stays of 14-30 days, there’s something appropriate for everybody.

After being collected from their Lodges or Lodgings in Chiang Mai, the primary port of name for the guests is to purchase fruit on the Native Each day Market, an elephant can eat as much as 200kg of meals a day, so “wholesale shopping for” is the order of the day.

Arriving on the Elephant Nature Park you meet the opposite vacationers, numbering on common between twenty & forty per day, depending on the Time of the Yr of your go to. Your information for the day begins by introducing you to the assorted elephants and their relationships with one another and earlier than lengthy a dozen or so of them are sniffing across the guests with their trunks, anticipating lunch shortly.

Every elephant has its personal laundry basket stuffed with fruit made to order. One desires its watermelons peeled, one other received’t eat bananas, and one other received’t contact the cucumbers till the remaining has all gone. Feeding doesn’t take lengthy & there are sufficient elephants for each vacationer to have their very own to feed and also you quickly uncover their particular person personalities. There are cheeky elephants, nosy elephants, lonely elephants, grasping elephants, quick eaters and gradual eaters.

However be warned – you received’t get out of this train with out loads of elephant drool and “snot” in your fingers!

After the elephants have had their lunch the tour teams may have theirs, the meals is definitely excellent, it’s a buffet so there’s something for everybody, even together with vegetarians which for Thailand is kind of uncommon. As soon as lunch is over it’s time for the following spotlight of the day.

The elephants are bathed twice a day at round 1pm and 4pm, and it’s doubtless their favorite instances of day, and positively by the point its bathtub time they’re normally utterly coated in a combination of mud, grime and flies. Everybody heads right down to the river for the washing ritual and it is among the funniest issues you possibly can ever see. These giants of the jungle like nothing higher than splashing round & taking part in within the water, rolling time and again. At instances they completely disappear beneath the water solely to re-appear and trumpet water over anybody & everybody inside vary.

With buckets and scrubbing brushes the visiting group units to work cleansing, a lot to the appreciation of the elephants. After the elephants have been bathed, if Lek (the founder) is accessible, she at all times seems to greet each the vacationers & to say howdy to “her household”, as she approaches, all the elephants come over to greet her and it is rather clear she has a particular affinity with them.

Study the place the elephants got here from

The teams are additionally knowledgeable in regards to the particular person elephants & the sorry tales behind every of them, considered one of them walks like an invalid it’s because her legs acquired damaged in numerous logging accidents. One other one is completely blind as a result of the mahout (handler) stabbed her eyes out with arrows with a view to get “obedience” from her.

Yet one more was shot as a result of he threw some vacationers off his again while enterprise a harmful ascent up a slender jungle path, even “The King” of the elephants had been a sufferer of ivory poachers. Each elephant has a unique story, however the frequent bond shared between all of them is that they’ve suffered abuse by the hands of us people! Because the solar begins to set, the day trippers depart & the “boarders” watch among the very light coaching that’s used to maintain the elephants completely satisfied & contented.

Dinner is equally as scrumptious as lunch, and we’ve probability to fulfill & chat with the volunteers, a few of whom have been on the Elephant Nature Park for weeks some even months!

The lodging is considerably on the “primary” aspect, however the beds are comfy, and it’s stunning simply how drained you get throughout your day with the elephants. The nights although are removed from silent, as aside from the 31 elephants there are nicely over 50 different “pets” starting from canines, cats, water buffalo & cows, to not point out the frogs, and tens of millions of bugs all through the park.

All spherical it’s nice enjoyable & the expertise of residing & working with the elephants is one thing that gives fabulous residing reminiscences for a few years to come back! For extra data please go to the Elephant Nature Park Website.