The ethical issues surrounding the elephant tourism industry in Thailand has attracted negative attention in recent years. As more information becomes available regarding the cruelty inflicted upon these majestic creatures for the benefit of the industry, more and more people are educating themselves so that they can select a reputable sanctuary to spend time with them. This is positively changing the way we interact with elephants, however, it is important to note that not all places are as trustworthy as they seem. In fact, many use the word sanctuary to deceive tourists into believing they truly care for the elephant's well being. For years, elephants have been mistreated by an industry that forces them to perform tricks unnatural to their own behaviors. They receive cruel punishments on a daily basis for disobedience and to crush their spirit. For this reason, I was incredibly hesitant about whether or not to trust any "sanctuary". I did a lot of research before finally deciding on The Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai.
Why I Chose The Elephant Nature Park
The Elephant Nature Park describes their organisation by stating that they work to provide a safe environment in the wild, rescue elephants from cruel conditions and educate elephant owners on how to appeal to the tourist industry without harming the animals in their care. They achieve this through a variety of programs.
While researching the various locations to visit the elephants, I went on Trip Advisor to gauge the reaction of previous visitors. There are over 8000 excellent reviews and nearly 800 very good reviews for this park. This, of course, does not indicate that it is specifically cruelty-free, it merely suggests that the program was enjoyable and appealed to the tourist. One would like to assume that if these people saw the elephants being abused, chained or giving rides, that they would give a negative review. Sadly we can't guarantee that. For that reason, I didn't just take the word of the star rating. I read many of the reviews and saw no mention of the above cruel practices. The reviews were filled with praise for the caring and devoted workers. Of course, like anything else, there are a few negative reviews but these seem to be focused on issues other than the treatment of the animals. Unsure of what to believe, I posted in a Thailand Backpackers Facebook group to ask about other peoples experiences at this park and if there were other parks they would recommend. I was inundated with positive comments about the ethical nature of this park and the wonderful experiences of many backpackers.
Choosing A Package
The Elephant Nature Park offers a variety of packages to choose from. These vary in purpose, price and physical ability of the group. The one I chose was listed in their Saddle Off program, the Elephant Freedom Single Day package. Priced at 2,500Bhat (€66) per person this was not a cheap experience however it was one of the cheaper packages. This package not only includes a full day excursion but also includes lunch and transport.
This program is a unique experience with elephants who have recently been freed from trick shows and back damaging tourist rides. The website describes this program by stating their aim is to "improve the life and treatment of the elephants under the care of independent owners". They focus on training the mahouts ethical ways of caring for the elephants. This package is located off-site from the Nature Park itself but don't let that discourage you. It is by no means a small piece of land. The location stretches for acres and is filled with lush, green trees, shrubs and bamboo.
To select a package that suits your needs you can visit the website on this link https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/enp/visit-volunteer.
Elephant Cruelty
We began our day by being collected from our Chiang Mai city hotel, along with 6 other people from the area. While on our way to the park, the tour guide played a short video to educate us on the rules of the park, unacceptable behaviors and the cruelty that exists in the elephant tourism industry. The cruelty mentioned informed us that many mahouts and "sanctuaries" use chains and bullhooks to control the elephants and to instill fear. They often take young elephants away from their mother and break their spirit to keep them submissive.
Riding an elephant is something many tourists pay to do, often unaware that this is cruel to the elephant. We often see riding in movies, on TV, and at the circus. If you are uneducated about the cruelty of the process it is not unnatural to want to partake in this activity. This is the reason it is crucial to find out the truth before making this decision. Many people make this decision without realising the profound effect it can have on the elephant physically and mentally. One thing many people say to justify it is "look at the size of him compared to me, he can carry me no bother". There are many issues with this statement.
You are one person, but they are doing this day in, day out, all day, often without breaks. Would you be happy working that long, on your feet without breaks? What makes you think an animal weighing between 2-4 tons would be happy?
The spine of an elephant is not built to hold the extra weight. It is not structured the same as a horse or camel which can physically carry the extra weight. An elephants spine is completely different. Their sharp and bony protrusions point upward in the spine and create pain when carrying an extra load. Their body is biologically designed to carry its own weight but not added weight.
Once an elephant is captured, often in infancy and taken from its mother, its spirit is broken with torture and cruelty in order to tame and train it. Oftentimes, mahouts will hide a bullhook in their clothing. When the elephant becomes disobedient or reluctant to perform they will be threatened by the bullhook. This is typically done discreetly, so as not to put the customer off.
After viewing this video which highlighted all of this abuse in the industry we felt deeply saddened but equipped to recognise cruelty if we saw it in the park. We had our fingers crossed that the park would live up to our expectations and we were not disappointed, in fact, it turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip.
Our Day
We began by sorting sugar cane and bananas into our bags and baskets. We fed the elephants the sugar cane and kept the bananas for our jungle trek. Feeding them allowed us to gradually introduce ourselves to the elephants. We then led the elephants on a hike through the jungle. While this was not a long walk, it seemed to take quite a while as the elephants were slow walkers. The elephants greed and playful nature was evident as they kept trying to sneak their trunk into our bags to steal bananas. The ethical treatment of the elephants was obvious when they began to veer off course and wanted to go their own way. Instead of being shouted at or threatened, they were enticed and lead with the bananas and were happy to oblige in exchange for the treat. They would occasionally stop to graze on bamboo but the guides did not try to usher them along to keep to their schedule. Instead, they waited patiently and showed kindness and devotion to the wellbeing and desires of the elephants.
For the jungle trek, the guides wore flipflops and advised these would be suitable for tourists during the walk. I advise against this. I recommend you were runners(sneakers). To get from one area to the next we had to cross a shallow river. I was so happy to have enclosed shoes at this point. Parts of the trek get incredibly muddy and this resulted in several people stumbling out of their flipflops. Again, I was delighted I had chosen to wear my runners instead. I still got wet and muddy but not nearly as much as members of my group who wore flipflops. I also recommend you bring a pair of clean, dry shoes for going home.
After our walk, we had a vegetarian lunch prepared by the park. This wasn't great but it was ok. Afterwards, we fed the elephants again. They really do eat A LOT.
After lunch, they were ready for their mud bath. We led the elephants to a small muddy area where we assisted them by rubbing mud on their skin. Elephants use mud as protection from the sun and to keep their temperature regulated. The process requires you to get into the mud with the elephants and use a bowl to douse them in the mud. There is no way to stay clean during this as mud flies everywhere. The guides in particular are deliberately careless when flinging the mud as they get a great laugh from seeing the visitors muddy. This is all done in good humor and not intended to offend or hurt anyone. If you aren't keen to get muddy you can sit on the sidelines and take photos and watch everyone else. I do recommend you get involved though as it is a great experience.
After the mud bath we led the elephants to the lake where we washed off the mud. Again, we got just as wet as the elephants did as the guides mischievous nature led to us getting a cold shower with the elephants.
Once we were finished bathing the elephants, we were taken to a nearby waterfall to rinse ourselves off. By this point I was so happy to be clean I didn't even mind that the water was freezing cold. Don't worry though - the Thai sun has you dry and warm in no time.
Overall Opinions
Our trip was a complete success and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. I also recommend it for its ethical treatment of animals. For 2,500 Bhat we got a full day trip, lunch and transport. While a lot of the other packages are much more expensive I personally wouldn't be keen on spending that amount. I feel you get a lot of same experiences with this as you would with the other packages. The only exceptions would be the overnight stay or if you want to go for a longer trek. The guides show devotion, care and affection for the elephants in their care and are equipped with lots of knowledge about the work of the park, the individual elephants and elephants in general. This trip was very informative and gave us a unique experience.
There are many places in Thailand that claim to be ethical and use the word sanctuary in their title to trick visitors. My advice is to thoroughly research the place before you book. If you see any mention of chains, abusive behaviors, hooks or riding, then it is not a legitimate ethical place. Please do not support these people by giving them your hard earned money. I can personally recommend the Elephant Nature Park in Chaing Mai but suggest you check it out for yourself. It is an experience I will never forget.
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