Tilly was rescued in early March 2011 and just passed her three-year anniversary of life at ENP. She and Mae Kham Puan had been spending lots of time in the ENP jungle behind the mahout village, enjoying the bounty that…
At about 6 p.m. on 17 June a truly Grand Dame took her last breath. Mae Tee had just passed her five-anniversary of life at ENP. In all those years she had never laid down. We were always in awe…
Finally, we are able to enjoy the payoff of the long term construction work and the constant presence of heavy machinery. Our newest chain-free shelters are finally reaching completion!! The good news Within the last year, there have been three…
We have finally said goodbye to the hot and dry season. Each night, the mountiansides were ablaze and the usually fresh air was pungent with the acrid smell of smoke. The moon itself, barely visible through the heavy smog. The…
And so it begins ... Before arriving to Elephant Nature Park on the last day of February 2009, Mintra spent her whole life as a street begging elephant. Mintra seemed to develop slowly, possibly because of her dislocated hips. Though…
One year ago a blind ex-circus elephant, who had been chained in her owner’s yard for the past three years, hit the jackpot … a truck pulled up, ready to take her on a 20+ hour journey that would end at ENP, where she would begin her new life. Little did she know it, but it was her lucky day. For once in her life, her name was fitting, for she was known as Lucky.
New Year’s Day is a special day, filled with hope. We hope for a happy and healthy year ahead for the elephants and all other animals and humans in the care of Elephant Nature Park. We hope to continue to understand each other and work towards better communication and cooperation. We hope to become better people. We hope to inspire others to care more about animals, the environment and our mother Earth.
For the past eight years, ENP has been fortunate to start each year with a special volunteer group known as the “Power of One.” They arrive on January first, bringing with them their own special blend of peace, love, happiness, inspiration and HOPE. Their visit is a perfect start for the New Year!
The Power of One strike a pose during their show.
Close your eyes and imagine ... eating a picnic lunch in the jungle, surrounded by elephants who don't have to work but get to enjoy just being elephants! This is now a reality, thanks to the launch of the new…
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.
The past few months, Chiang Mai has played host to Hollywood, thanks to the filming of the action movie, “The Coup.”
Of course, no visit to Thailand’s second-largest city is complete without a trip up to Elephant Nature Park. We were fortunate to welcome stars Owen Wilson and Lake Bell, who play a married couple in the film, as well as actresses Claire Geare and Sterling Jerins, plus brothers film director John Erick Dowdle and producer Drew Dowdle.
The most beautiful part?
One visit to Lek and the elephants wasn’t enough!
Members of the cast and production team of “The Coup” visit Elephant Nature Park with Lek and Beau. L-R: John, Lake, Owen, Drew, Beau, Diana