The Elephant Nature Park, positioned withinside the Mae Taeng Valley 60kms north of Chiang Mai, is an top notch area to go to.
The Park operates as each a sanctuary & a rescue centre for distressed & ill Asian Elephants from throughout Thailand. If you’re inquisitive about running with elephants, in a totally relaxed, herbal & moral surroundings that is a remarkable tour for you.
A manual to traveling Elephant Nature Park
The Elephant Nature Park is simply one hour’s force north of the Thai town of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, and is positioned withinside the lovely herbal settings of the Mae Taeng Valley, which enjoys a scenic river walking via it and is surrounded via way of means of the densely forested mountains of the place. The park operates as each a sanctuary & a rescue centre for distressed & ill Asian Elephants from throughout Thailand.
The park, which covers a complete land place of 800 hectares (2,000 acres), changed into based in 1996 and changed into the brainchild of Sangduen “Lek” Chailert & her husband Adam. Lek (meaning “small” in Thai) grew up in a nearby village now no longer too a long way farfar from the park, and it’s been via the infinite tough paintings of Adam & Lek plus the continuing aid of her own circle of relatives that the park has been capable of maintain to enlarge and end up successful.
An moral elephant sanctuary in Thailand
The “goals” of the Elephant Nature Park are quite simple but idea provoking:
To provide a sanctuary to an endangered species – Asian Elephant numbers in Thailand have reduced dramatically over the past century from over 100,000 right all the way down to much less than 2,000 animals left today.
To assist repair the ecological stability via way of means of rain woodland restoration – the park is wearing out an competitive programme of tree planting, with the goal to replant 25 acres of timber a 12 months for five years to assist re-introduce the rain woodland & with it sell the plants & animals that depend on it.
To hold the cultural integrity of the nearby community – via way of means of growing employment and shopping agricultural merchandise domestically the park is supporting the villagers to maintain their awesome culture.
To sell the park as a method of education – for traffic, individuals, examine groups, colleges and involved parties, with the important thing consciousness being at the plight of the endangered nearby species provided in an enjoyable but significant way.
The elephants at The Elephant Nature Park
The elephants that stay withinside the sanctuary of the Elephant Nature Park are specially from non-public proprietors having been received via way of means of negotiated fees. Some of the majestic beasts merely “outlived” their usefulness to the Hill Tribe People who used them for logging purposes, as using the animals has dwindled because of each mechanisation & a whole lot stricter controls at the control of Thailand’s forests, others had been so badly handled that they have become weak & ill, consequently vain to their hiking camp proprietors.
The park is now domestic to over 30 elephants of every age from simply 12 months antique proper as much as “grand-daddy” at over 70 years antique! The Elephant has a comparable lifespan to humans, and shape households of comparable composition and duration. Some of the “youngsters” have moms however all have “aunties”. There are elephants that assist out, or have followed them, although now no longer genetically related. There are more than one older male elephants along with the king of the clan.
There’s NO elephant using here
Thailand as a rustic is FULL of elephant “experiences” to be had to travelers, you may trip them, watch them paint pictures, play drums, play football, do a trick or for meals, or lug substances on hiking adventures, however this park is distinctive as it does now no longer permit ANY of those merciless exploitations.
It is domestic to elephants which have been abused on this way or orphaned or rescued over the last ten years.
Activities at Elephant Nature Park
Most travelers go to the Elephant Nature Park as “day-trippers’, the park does additionally provide 2-7 day remains, & even “volunteer” remains of 14-30 days, there may be some thing appropriate for everyone.
After being accrued from their Hotels or Lodgings in Chiang Mai, the primary port of name for the traffic is to shop for fruit on the Local Daily Market, an elephant can devour as much as 200kg of meals a day, so “wholesale buying” is the order of the day.
Arriving on the Elephant Nature Park you meet the alternative travelers, numbering on common among twenty & 40 according to day, depending on the Time of the Year of your go to. Your manual for the day starts via way of means of introducing you to the numerous elephants and their relationships with every different and earlier than lengthy a dozen or so of them are sniffing across the traffic with their trunks, looking forward to lunch shortly.
Each elephant has its personal laundry basket complete of fruit made to order. One desires its watermelons peeled, any other might not devour bananas, and any other might not contact the cucumbers till the relaxation has all gone. Feeding does not take lengthy & there are sufficient elephants for each traveler to have their personal to feed and also you quickly find out their character personalities. There are cheeky elephants, nosy elephants, lonely elephants, grasping elephants, rapid eaters and gradual eaters.
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