Elephant Sanctuaries in Thailand
If you’re still riding elephants in 2019, you’re cancelled
I cannot blame you if you rode an elephant when you were you were younger. I did too, her name was Lisa.
She was chained and forced to walk around in circle under the hot sun for 8-12 hours a day giving bratty little kids like me rides. But we didn’t know any better back then and now we do. We know that it’s not natural for elephants to walk on their hind legs, dance, paint, play soccer or hula hoop. It takes enough abuse to crush their spirit so their horrible owner can train them to do these unnatural tasks.
So if you’re still supporting circuses or riding elephants in 2019, you truly have no excuse.
If you are traveling to Thailand and want to see the elephants - please do! There are some amazing ethical sanctuaries to choose from. In Chiang Mai I would highly suggest the Elephant Nature Park. A lovely woman named Lek Chailert established the park in the 1990s and it has been flourishing ever since. They have rescued dozens of elephants and given them a place to retire and live out the rest of their lives in peace.
In Phuket I would recommend the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary - it’s the first ethical sanctuary in Phuket. The woman who started the Elephant Nature Park actually had a hand in starting this one as well, alongside a former elephant camp owner who realized the cruelty of the industry he was apart of and became determined to rescue the elephants instead.
We met elephants that were burned in captivity, had their backs and hips broken from the logging industry, stepped on landmines and some that were blinded by their owners. Unfortunately, many of these eles spend 60-80 years in the industry before finally being rescued.
The oldest elephant we met at the Elephant Nature Park was 102 years old. She was forced to give rides to tourists for 97 years before being rescued. She was brought to the sanctuary where she befriended another elderly female ele to live out her retirement with. A male baby elephant quickly became her adopted great grandchild and now he frequently visits to eat lunch and dinner with her.
Elephants get visibly upset when their loved ones die, they form friendships and some are so inseparable they become roommates at the sanctuaries. These gentle creatures feel all the pain inflicted upon them to be able to be ridden or to entertain kids at the circus. So please - do your research before you go. Do not ride elephants, do not support circuses and for the love of God - do not buy ivory.