Elephants in Thailand

Asian elephants are an endangered species. Experts believe there are now less than 2000 wild elephants living in Thailand. The population is declining at a rapid rate due to loss of habitat and humans. In the early-1900s there were an estimated 100,000 domesticated or captive elephants in Thailand. In mid-2007 there were an estimated 3,456 domesticated elephants left in Thailand and roughly a thousand wild elephants. They became an endangered species in 1986.

Why are these sanctuaries necessary? The elephants are abused and hooked at the riding camps until they are broken (like a horse), at the logging camps the elephants are neglected and hit with hook topped sticks. One of the elephants that was rescued was emaciated due to the logging company going out of business, it is the newest elephant at the sanctuary and still getting adjusted to humans being nice. The scars on the sanctuary elephants tell the tale of their past. Most of the girls here at Mae Rim are over 20 years old and a couple are 30 and 45. Elephants can live to 60, and in Africa the oldest was 109. At the sanctuaries the elephants get to live the rest of their lives without abuse or neglect.

Recently there has been a shift in how the elephants are being treated, the tourism market has changed from riding elephants to now learning about them in sanctuaries and a myriad of sanctuaries have opened around Thailand. These sanctuaries are targeting those captive elephants but its not cheap.

The sanctuaries have to “rescue” the elephants by purchasing them from zoos, tourism (like riding camps), logging companies and circuses. The rescue is a purchase and elephants range in price but roughly run about $100,000 USD. The sanctuaries raise the money by people visiting the facilities and paying a small fee, about $50 USD. On top of the fees to rescue the elephants they also need to buy the land and feed these animals. Each elephant can live on just under 1 acre, 7 acres can house about 10 elephants at the Mae Rim Sanctuary. Elephants may spend 12-18 hours a day feeding. Adult elephants can eat between 200-600 pounds of food a day. That food has to be purchased and is mostly in the form of local bananas and corn stalks. The elephants can also eat a variety of different fruit like watermelon and pineapple but that is more expensive so they get much less.

At the Mae Rim elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mae Thailand, they are working on rescuing a 40 year old female they named Choc-Dee, she is currently living in a riding camp. When the elephants are purchased the place of purchase does not replace them. The sanctuaries goes after companies that are closing so that there is no replacement of animals for another. Each elephant has their own Mahout once they arrive at the sanctuary. A mahout is an elephant  keeper. Usually, a mahout starts as a boy in the family profession when he is assigned an elephant early in its life. They remain bonded to each other throughout their lives.

Mae Rim Sanctuary has room for 10 elephants, currently they are housing 6 and raising money for Chock-Dee. Once the sanctuary has 10 elephants, they will acquire more land in which they can house more elephants. And that cycle continues.

While I am here in Chiang Mai, I would like to ask for your assistance in raising a mere $1000 USD, 1% of what they need to rescue Chock-Dee, I will take all the donations to them in person in local currency. I ask that you either paypal or Venmo me your donation. I am asking for you to donate just $10, I figure if I get $10 from each person who loved the photos and wished they could be here, we could easily raise the money. This will also ensure that the sanctuaries will be able to not only house the elephants but educate the tourists who visit the facility, hopefully creating a self sustainable cycle to forever care for these peaceful animals.

Venmo @Heat4sound – Please be sure to put the word “Elephants” in your donation. or you can use
Paypal: heatheroblon @ hotmail.com – Please be sure to put the word “Elephants” in your donation.

We will document the day that the donation is brought to the sanctuary in mid March. I know you all can send a mere $10, the price of lunch at a fast food restaurant and your welcome to donate more.