Knowledge is power: improving elephants’ futures

Education and knowledge are the keys to change. This is something we have learned over and over, not just with visitors who come to Thailand and to our projects, but also with other elephant camps.

When Erawan Elephant Retirement Park opened in July, 2013, Save Elephant Foundation was able to take five elephants from trekking camps, street begging and performance shows and move them to a new home … in retirement. Now, almost six months later, we are happy to report that these elephants are enjoying their freedom. This project came about because Lek worked hard to establish relationships with camps in Kanchanaburi and educate them on how to help their elephants lives become better.

An integral part to all of our projects is education that expands beyond just our world of visitors and volunteers. We continue to educate elephant camp owners and hope we can help improve their lives in captivity.

Over the past few years, we have had several camps open next to us at Elephant Nature Park.

The nearby trekking camp with their elephants. This is no longer their world, thanks to the hard work and education they have received from Lek and SEF about how to better their elephants lives.

Every day, we drive past these camps and see elephants chained in their shelters, rocking their heads and exhibiting signs of stress.

Over the past few months, Lek has been working with one of the nearby camps. She invited the camp over to come and visit ENP to show the owner the way the elephants live there. Their staff were trained to cook vegetarian food for their clients. Our vets went down the road to tend to the camp’s elephants when they were in need.

The camps elephants enjoying being unchained and not working.

It took time for them to understand what we were doing, but when we asked if they were interested in changing their camp from riding and shows to one that echoes us, the owner opened their heart and was brave enough to make the change.

Elephants from the camp can now have coatings of mud and good scratches.

Starting now, all the elephants from the camp no longer have to work or perform, they will walk to freedom. They will swim and eat. We are so happy to support this — and any other project — willing to make a change to make their elephants lives better.

Today, we are so overjoyed to announce this heartwarming story and share it with you. For these elephants, it isn’t just going to be a new year, it is going to be a new life.