Chiang Mai, Thailand
Everyone wants to ride elephants inward Thailand. Including me. That was until I spent the twenty-four hours at an elephant sanctuary too learned the disturbing truth nearly this pop activity.
Just imagine how incredible it would endure to sit down atop a massive ix human foot tall, 4-ton beast spell lumbering your agency through deep rivers too pristine jungle.
This is an experience many people dream nearly when planning to go Southeast Asia on budget backpacking trip.
I couldn’t hold off to acquire my photograph riding on overstep of a massive elephant!
However, there’s a nighttime side to elephant tourism that many aren’t aware of…
Elephant Nature Park
Elephant Nature Park (ENP) is a natural sanctuary tucked away inward the beautiful jungles of Northern Thailand. Their mission is to protect & attention for mistreated elephants rescued from the tourism too logging industries.
Increasing awareness too promoting sustainable elephant-friendly tourism is unopen to other goal. The green currently cares for 36 elephants on 250 acres of wilderness.
When I start arrived at ENP, I wasn’t quite certain what to expect. How unopen could nosotros acquire to the elephants? Could nosotros touching on them? Were they dangerous?
The alone other fourth dimension I’d seen an elephant exterior a zoo was on Safari inward South Africa, when i of them charged us! It was an intimidating experience.
Hanging Out With Giants
You acquire to participate inward many fun elephant activities at ENP. I was able to feed them fresh fruit out of the palm of my hand, lookout adult man them play inward the mud, acquire on walks alongside them, too fifty-fifty acquire into the river to aid give them a bath!
Watching these gentle giants interact alongside each other is an inspirational travel experience.
They chat alongside friends too theatre unit of measurement members yesteryear chirping too trumpeting dorsum too forth. You guide maintain a greater appreciation for how intelligent too social they truly are.
You won’t observe whatsoever elephant rides at Elephant Nature Park though. No circus tricks or elephant paintings either.
This is because the elephants hither guide maintain been rescued from such places.
Plight Of The Asian Elephant
Asian elephants are an endangered species. Experts believe at that spot are right away less than 2000 wild elephants living inward Thailand. The population is declining at a rapid charge per unit of measurement due to loss of habitat.
Illegal capture too merchandise for utilization inward the tourism manufacture is also a large problem.
This manufacture thrives because unusual visitors all desire to ride elephants or lookout adult man them create tricks, paying goodness coin for the privilege.
But the fact is those wild elephants demand to endure tamed earlier they tin flame endure ridden.
Except the taming procedure inward Southeast Asia is non the same every bit alongside a wild horse.
It’s much to a greater extent than vicious too is accomplished when the elephants are rattling young.
Baby Elephant Torture
Wild elephants by too large won’t allow humans ride on overstep of them. So inward monastic say to tame a wild elephant, it is tortured every bit a babe to completely suspension its spirit.
The procedure is called Phajaan, or “the crush”.
It involves ripping babe elephants away from their mothers too confining them inward a rattling small-scale space, similar a cage or hole inward the the world where they’re unable to move.
The babe elephants are too hence beaten into submission alongside clubs, pierced alongside sudden bull-hooks, spell starved too deprived of slumber for many days.
You tin flame watch a disturbing video of the procedure if you’re curious. Photographer Brent Lewin won an honour for capturing this haunting image of the torture.
Elephant Trekking In Thailand
Elephant mistreatment doesn’t halt afterward they’ve been tamed. Many elephant camps perish on to employ bull-hooks to command the animals.
While they may non endure stabbing them constantly every bit they did during the training, it’s that deep learned fearfulness of beingness stabbed that’s used to motivate them to work.
Always remember, elephants never forget.
If an elephant army camp inward Southeast Asia is claiming to endure “responsible” alongside its animals, yous should all the same endure skeptical.
The procedure used to educate them is oftentimes the same, fifty-fifty if they’re treated alongside kindness now. And usually, at that spot is no agency to endure certain what’s going on when tourists acquire home.
Did yous know that riding elephants tin flame truly displace serious long-term damage too? Their spines are non made to back upwards the weight of humans. I know it’s difficult to believe given their size, but Zebras are the same way.
Save The Elephant Foundation
Founder Lek Chailert has been fighting to relieve the elephants too alter her country’s credence of their handling since she was a immature girl.
Lek created Elephant Nature Park to rescue mistreated elephants from the tourist merchandise too give them a amend life.
The green provides twenty-four hours trips too week-long volunteer opportunities allowing tourists to interact alongside too acquire nearly elephants responsibly.
As a registered Thai nonprofit foundation, fees collected acquire towards feeding too caring for the massive creatures, purchasing additional elephants from their abusive owners, too expanding the size of the sanctuary itself.
A trip to Elephant Nature Park includes a graphic video presentation that helps shed unopen to low-cal on the secretive elephant tourism industry. It’s non slow to watch.
The Choice Is Up To You
Brutal elephant grooming has been a traditional exercise inward Southeast Asia for hundreds of years. The work these days is that most captive elephants inward Thailand are used to entertain tourists rather than for traditional purposes similar logging or armed forces use.
It’s our demand for elephant rides too circus acts that atomic number 82 to to a greater extent than babe elephants getting captured from their mothers, tortured, too sold off to entertain us.
Whether yous ride elephants inward Thailand or non is your choice. I endeavor my best non to gauge others because I’m acutely aware that nosotros all guide maintain dissimilar moral codes & standards.
Most people who participate inward elephant tourism inward Thailand are completely unaware of how they are treated.
I know many friends who guide maintain ridden elephants. It’s slow to empathise why people create it. I almost rode an elephant myself.
I only wanted to portion what I’ve learned afterward my ain elephant experience inward Thailand, to aid yous brand a to a greater extent than informed determination moving forward. ★
Watch Video: Elephant Whisperer
(Click to lookout adult man Elephant Whisperer on YouTube)
Company: Elephant Nature Park
Packing Guide
Check out my travel gear guide to aid yous start packing for your trip. Pick upwards a go backpack, photographic television set camera gear, too other useful go accessories.
Book Your Flight
Book inexpensive flights on Skyscanner, my favorite airline search engine to observe deals. Also read my tips for how I observe the cheapest flights.
Rent H5N1 Car
Discover Car Hire is a nifty site for comparison automobile prices to observe the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.
Book Accommodation
Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent local apartments on Airbnb ($35 discount!). Read my post for tips on booking inexpensive hotels.
Protect Your Trip
Don’t forget go insurance! I’m a large fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read to a greater extent than nearly why yous should ever comport go insurance.
Recommended Guidebook: Lonely Planet Thailand
Suggested Reading: When Elephants Weep
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Do yous all the same desire to ride an elephant? How does this data brand yous feel? Drop me a message inward the comments below!
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