 Lek with new baby elephant born in Camp   |
This peaceful sanctuary for rescued elephants allows people to get up close with these majestic creatures. The Elephant Nature Park in the Mae Taeng Valley, 60 kms out of Chiang Mai, is home to 34 Asian elephants, many of them rescued from dire circumstances by park founder, Sangduen Chaillert. Known as “Lek” (Tiny), this diminuitive Thai woman from a remote Northern hill tribe, has done more to help the predicament of elephants, than almost anyone, earning her Time Magazine’s Asia Hero of the Year in 2005 for her work with elephants.
Further north in the hills of Thailand’s Golden Triangle, Briton John Clarke runs an Elephant Camp project at the Anantara and Four Season Tented Camp resorts. Under his charge a number of elephants have been rescued from logging and from use in street begging and brought here to the forests of Chiang Rai.
The program and the Asian Elephant Foundation are supported by resort guests who pay around US$285 a night for a deluxe suite at this luxury resort overlooking the Golden Triangle. These days many are paying an additional fee, on top of their hotel accommodation, to undergo “mahout” training, a one day to one week intensive program where they learn how to bond with, look after and wash the elephants, a project that enables the resort to keep them off the streets.
There are no chains or saddles at either elephant sanctuary – the elephants roam free at night in the nearby jungle and the only time they’re ridden is down to the river for their daily bath….. continues
©Karen Halabi August 2009
For a story and images on The Elephant Nature Park or The Elephant Camp project or both in one story contact the author. OR you may prefer a story on all attempts/projects to save the Asian elephant. Story can run from 1,000 to 2,000 wds.
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