Elephant Nature Park

The Asian Elephant is a national as well as religious symbol of Thailand. About a century ago there were 100.000 of them, whereas their number declined by 95% down to 5.000. Due to their size and power most of them were used as working force in the logging industry. Since the end of the logg business in 1998 most of the domestic elephants are "unemployed" and are now used in tourism begging on the streets as well as in tourist riding attraction. Lots of them end up with bad wounds, broken backs due to car accidents or are treated badly due to "misbehaviour", whereas the punishment can include simple bleeding and infected wounds or the loss of their eyes leading to bad mental illnesses beneath the physical suffering. Most people are not aware of this including me until the end of last week.

The Elephant Nature Park is a santuary for domestic elephants being freed from their original owners. The park "frees" the elephants for an amount of ca. 2000 USD and gives it a new home on a 100 hectar areal about one hour away from Chiang Mai. Projects include Elephant Heaven, a huge mountain areal and playground for the currently 34 elephants in the park as well as some callable doctor ensuring the wellbeing of the at least close by held domestic elephants. Most of the projects are run by donation as well as eco tourism including daytrips, onenightstays or voluntary week at the park where you can observe these massive but genle animals and get involved in their feeding and their bathing causing huge waves in the usually smooth river. As a new project the new generation of elephants will be wildered again in a newly donated territory, such that there is and will be Hope (originally wild and energetic nine year old elephant).