Elephants in Thailand

Working and caring for elephants in Thailand was amazing

Elephants in Thailand

Working with Asian elephants in Thailand was one of those experience that you read about in books when you are kid. I am happy to say that it lived up to every bit of what I thought it would be and more.

Backstory on Asian Elephants

Being the icon of Thailand has been both a blessing and a curse for these amazing creatures. Asian elephants are recognized as an endangered species due to the fact that there are only an estimated 3,000-4,000 Asian elephants left in Thailand. These majestic creatures use to have numbers in the thousands upon thousands. Today they are beloved by the majority but still have to be worried about destruction to their natural habitat. Hunting has dramatically dropped due to them being an endangered species but that doesn’t mean everyone follows those rules.

Quick Course in Elephant Lingo

What is an elephant reserve? There are many Thailand elephant reserves available for travelers to visit; their goal is to protect elephants and educate populations about the harm being done. These are often run by Buddhist monks and can be amazing places to interact with.

Are reserves & sanctuaries the same? Not exactly, Sanctuaries are places of refuge for elephants who were previously in captivity (most of the time not by choice). It’s a place for rehabilitation, healing, calm, and safety for elephants. These places aim to give the elephants all the TLC they need/deserve.

Is volunteerism a word? Yes, it is, but it is a word you should probably stay clear of. There have been many cases showing establishments use this word to try and get free labor from tourist because they know how much people want to work with elephants.

Just a very cool word “ช้าง Cĥāng,” the word for elephant in the Thai language. If you have trouble remembering, just think of your favorite local beer.

Remember, everything I discuss is only what I have learned throughout my experiences. There are always outliers that won’t fall into any of these categories.

My Experience

When I arrived in Thailand, I can say that working with elephants was not even on my radar. I was more worried about figuring out my next move and exploring the big cities of Bangkok, Chang Mai, and Phuket. However, along my journey I met an amazing young lady that was traveling all over the world working with as many animals as she could. Elephants was next on here list. I was invited to go and check out what it all encompassed.

At first, I was a little nervous because it seems like today everyone has an opinion on elephant sanctuaries and reserves even though most have never stepped foot anywhere near an elephant. Is it ethical or not is the question that gets thrown around the most and I think only you the person can make that decision. There are many elephants that need help due to a variety of reasons and many of these places offer the help they need. I was so happy with my experience and I was shown how a top tier establishment is run and how the elephants were always put first. If this is something you are looking to do then start with doing the research first and move forward from there.