Elephant Nature Park

Definitely another one for the bucket list and a true once in a lifetime experience. It would bring tears to even the hardest of eyes what some of the elephants that reside here have been put through, from being blinded delibrately by their owners after losing her calf and refusing to work to orphan elephants whose mother was shot entering farmer land. The owner Sangduen 'Lek' Chailert has a true passion for elephants and the centre is run with absolutely no government funding. We got to feed the elephants, wash them and generally roam with them in their natural habitat. They have a huge run of land. Our guide 'Bee' was excellent really friendly and informative and told us the life of each of the elephants (not sure how she tells the difference)

We saw a video of the training ritual some of these elephants had to endure called "The Crush". Here's a summary of whats involved:

It's a sound not easily forgotten. Just before dawn in the remote highlands of northern Thailand, west of the village Mae Jaem, a four-year-old elephant bellows as seven village men stab nails into her ears and feet. She is tied up and immobilized in a small, wooden cage. Her cries are the only sounds to interrupt the otherwise quiet countryside.

The cage is called a "training crush." It's the centerpiece of a centuries-old ritual in northern Thailand designed to domesticate young elephants. In addition to beatings, handlers use sleep-deprivation, hunger, and thirst to "break" the elephants' spirit and make them submissive to their owners.

I'd rather forget what I saw in that video but it's an eye opener to the plight of the Elephant in Thailand. Come to this centre if you are an animal lover and interested in seeing these majestic creatures roaming free come here, if your interested in riding an Elephant or watch do tricks go to one of the elephant 'prisons' nearby. We were lucky to get a place here as this park usually books out weeks and sometimes months in advance. This is a place where elpehants are certainly happy.

Please support Lek's work by volunteering, donating or going to her reserve:

Details here, book early to avoid disappointment.

http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/