When I was little I used to see the elephants in the circus and was totally mesmerized by them. I rode them at summer carnivals and always dreamed of riding them through the jungles of Asia. What I didn’t know was how harmful each of these activities were to them.
I knew when I was planning my trip abroad that I wanted to do some volunteering. I love animals, so I started researching what my options were. After reading some articles, I realized that everyone was giving the same advice about picking the right elephant park to go to. “Don’t go to places that let you ride the elephants” and “Make sure you know where your money is going” were all too common to see.
As I started to do my own research around elephants in Thailand, I quickly learned there is a dark side to elephant tourism. Illegal logging, street begging, circus performing and elephant trekking are just a few of the abuses elephants are forced to do. They are beaten, speared, burned, whipped, malnourished, and most work to their death.
After looking through many options, I decided on Elephant Nature Park located just outside Chiang Mai. If you ever get the chance to visit Thailand, do yourself a favor and visit the Elephant Nature Park. The week I had of volunteering was one I will truly never forget.
Once at the park, we were put into four groups, which we would stick with all week as we worked. We were greeted by our guides, who were so wonderful and taught us so much about the park and the history of the elephants living there.
Our days consisted of breakfast at 7am, a morning job at 8am, lunch at 11:30am, an afternoon job at 1pm, elephant bathing at 3pm and dinner at 6pm. Jobs ranged from cutting corn, planting grass and pineapple, preparing elephant food, and even scooping wonderful elephant poop. Jobs really depend on what is needed at the park when you arrive, so they change frequently.
Twice during the week we also go to walk through the park and see the different elephants. These elephants were rescued from tourism, illegal logging and the like, so many suffer from mental illness. Some can only be kept with certain elephants and some have to be on their own with their mahout while they slowly start to adapt to a peaceful life. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming to see these animals, now free from pain, left with the scars from their past lives. Some are blind, some are covered in scars on their forehead, and some have ears that are shredded from the torture of bull hooks. One elephant, Mae Jan Peng, wears a flower on her ear to cover the hole made by a hook.
Some elephants are born into the park, like Dok Rak! He’s only four months old and loves to play. He was constantly tumbling over himself and running in between the other elephants legs. It’s wonderful to know that the elephants born into this park will live a carefree, happy life.
One of the horrible traditions we learned during our week was about the “phajaan.” This is a traditional asian torture custom that literally “crushes” the spirit of the elephant so they become submissive to humans, which is why it’s referred to as the “training crush.” Most elephants are captured when they are just a few years old. Elephants usually stick together as a family, so when the young elephants are poached, they are forced to witness their family being killed.
For at least 6 days to sometimes multiple weeks, the elephants are kept in crates that are too small with their legs bound so they can’t sit or lie down. The elephants are then beaten with sharp bull hooks, burned, and starved of food and water. Eventually, their spirits are broken and their mahouts (elephant caretaker) become the boss.
While it was awful to hear about these practices, it’s important to know the truth about what really happens to these elephants.
Sometimes we had relaxing evenings and others we had special events. One night we learned about Thai culture and language and another night the local mahouts came to perform for us! It was great to be able to immerse ourselves with the local community and experience their customs. One day we even got to visit the local school and play with the kids for a while. They were so excited to have us there and kept us on our feet by playing games.
The food at ENP was amazing. They only serve vegetarian dishes, but each meal was a huge buffet and every day there were different options. So many curries, soups, noodles and fruits to choose from. It was great to be able to try the local produce!
On our last night at ENP the founder, Lek Chailert, came to speak to us about her dedication to helping the elephants. She grew up in a small hill tribe in Thailand and would help her grandfather, who was a shaman, participate in animal healings. This is where she grew to love elephants and decided to dedicate her life to saving them. She is an advocate for the rights and welfare of the Asian elephants in Thailand, having formed the Save Elephant Foundation to further their protection.
Lek’s work has not gone unnoticed. In 2010, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton honored her as one of six Women Heroes of Global Conservation. Additionally, in 2005 she was named one of Time Magazine’s Heroes of Asia for her work in conservation and the Ford Foundation’s “Hero of the Planet” in 2001, just to name a few.
As a lover of animals, I still cannot process why others do them harm. I am completely humble to have been able to live with the elephants for a week and admire them for the beautiful, peaceful creatures they are.
I can’t recommend Elephant Nature Park enough. If you want a truly ethical experience and a chance to help these elephants, check out ENP and fall in love.