The past two months at Elephant Nature Park have seen an intensely emotional mix of blessing and tragedy, heartbreak and hope. We have lost beloved members of our herd: mighty BK and noble Max have passed away, and Mae Boon, Aura, and Mae Elu have been taken back by their owners. Yet amongst our tears there has been a sprinkling of joy as well: new eles have arrived to begin new lives at the Park, and new steps are made towards bettering the lives of all elephants in Thailand.

We are shocked and saddened by the passing of Max and BK, and we know how dearly loved these fallen giants were by so many of you. We are heartbroken, too, to think of the life that may now lay before young Aura and her family. But perhaps the eles have a plan to make our sorrow a little bit less. In the early hours of a quiet Friday morning, just before Max left us, a new life came into the Park: Mae Bua Tong, Tong Jan's mother, had a little girl named Faa Mai. Perhaps Max didn't want us to be too sad, so he asked Mae Bua Tong if her little one could arrive as he was leaving.

In this newsletter we'll fondly remember those we've lost, and warmly welcome our new arrivals...

Sad News as We Mourn the Death of the Majestic Boon Khum

On the morning of Saturday, March 21st, Boon Khum laid down in obvious pain and distress and died. He was one month into his annual musth. Three days beforehand on Wednesday, late in the afternoon the animal rescue team from Lampang arrived with the medication and equipment to sedate BK using a dart gun. His mahout Tae Reh had noticed that one of the bolts securing his chain had stripped, leaving the possibility for BK to break free, which would have been a very dangerous situation if it were to occur. (When male elephants are in musth, they can be quite aggressive and can pose a real threat to other elephants and people. For this reason, males in musth in Elephant Nature Park are kept on a long chain with plenty of food and water at their disposal – not to mention the attentions of many a female admirer!) The only way to fix the problem was to replace the bolt, which secured the chain to his left front leg at the wrist. Even an experienced mahout would be courting death to approach a bull in musth and try to kneel down next to his leg, so sedating BK was necessary and the only option.

At approximately 4:30pm on that Wednesday, Boon Khum was darted with a dose of Xylazine and became very docile and calm. He remained standing. The process of securing the chain went smoothly with no resistance from BK. Before leaving, the TECC rescue team prepared an antidote in a syringe for our resident doctor to administer at the appropriate time. The next morning, when Boon Khum still seemed very drugged and sluggish, we were very concerned and called Lampang to express our worries. Our vet was told that it was normal for him to still be "out of it" for a day or two afterwards. Sadly, BK never seemed to recover from the sedation. He suffered from a dangerous side effect of the sedative, and could not pass any stool or liquids. He did not appear to be outwardly bloated until moments before his death. About one hour before he died, he was seen drinking from his water tank. He had appeared subdued, but seemingly normal.

We are still in shock over his death, and are still in the process of finding out exactly what circumstances led to his untimely passing, and how we can prevent the same thing from happening in the future. After BK died, we learned that two other elephants at nearby camps who had received the same sedative also died afterward. It seems there may need to be more communication in regards to explaining what warning signs to look for during an elephant's recovery time, so this kind of thing never happens again.

Boon Khum was approaching his eight year anniversary of living at Elephant Nature Park. When Lek was first able to take possession of him, he was in horrific condition. It took two years of being in Lek's care for him to start going into musth once again. As the years passed, he metamorphosed into a strong, powerful, impressive and magnificent bull elephant. We were so proud to have him with us and are so deeply saddened to have lost him.

More Sad News: Mae Boon, Aura, and Mae Elu Return to their Owners

The morning of March 5th was a rude awakening. It was a day that all of us knew was eminent, but hoped would never come. Our beloved long-term leased mother and daughter, Mae Boon and Aura, were finally taken back by their owners after 3 years of freedom and fun at Elephant Nature Park. It was incredibly sad to see them being forced onto the truck. Neither of them wanted to cooperate in the least. Mae Boon knew exactly what was going on and where she was headed when they got out the heavy chains and draped them over her neck. Aura was visibly affected by her mother's stress. There was no way to comfort them as you couldn't tell Aura that life was going to get better, as it was only going to get a lot worse.

Over the past three years, on many occasions, we tried to negotiate with the owners to sell the pair, but they were not interested in selling. Mae Boon and Aura's lease time was extended when more than a year ago, the Park started paying a monthly lease wage for Aura as well. We had bought them as much time as we possibly could, postponing the inevitable.

Mae Boon and Aura were the favorites of many humans and elephants alike. They both had very friendly, outgoing personalities and could get along with anyone. Aura was accepted by every family group and it is well known that when Pupia and Mae Toh Koh were here, Aura was often seen suckling from Mae Toh Koh's breast. Mae Boon loved her daughter, but was a very "modern day" mother and was happy for others to care for Aura so she could enjoy her free time eating and socializing (her two favorite activities).

The after-effects of their leaving will be felt for some time to come, especially by longtime best friend of Mae Boon and permanent resident, Mae Dta Keow. Dok Ngern was also affected by Mae Boon and Aura's departure, as she had become big sister auntie to Aura on a more permanent basis after Mae Toh Koh and Pupia had left. The four females enjoyed trips to Elephant Haven together, which now Mae Dta Keow and Dok Ngern make as a pair. Dok Ngern is adjusting to the loss better than Mae Dta Keow, who spends most of her time alone these days. Dok Ngern has teamed up with Malai Tong and Mintra, and the three make quite a trio. Hopefully Mae Dta Keow can team up with someone in the future as well, but it takes her a while to find her comfort zone with other elephants.

Our hope was that even though we couldn't prevent Aura's owners from putting her through the phajaan, that all of the positive reinforcement training that she received at Elephant Nature Park would make her time in the crush less painful and lengthy. We have just received an update from Aura's owners who said that Aura was incredibly easy. They "couldn't believe it," being led with food, she walked right in to the crush cooperatively. She performed every command that was asked of her and only had to stay in the crush for three days. According to her owner, she didn't receive one scratch. The people in this village have performed many breaking ceremonies in the past and seemed to be very impressed with how smoothly the process went with Aura. They could not deny that all of the positive reinforcement training that she received at Elephant Nature Park made the ceremony a much less traumatizing and cruel experience. At this time the people in this village feel that due to the success of Aura's training, they would like to send more young elephants like Aura to stay at Elephant Nature Park for positive reinforcement training in the future. We at Elephant Nature Park hope that this is just the beginning of slowly phasing out this 6,000-year-old tradition of forcibly breaking the elephant's spirit.

Overall March has been a month of many losses for Elephant Nature Park, as another long-term leased elephant returned to the real world as well. Mae Elu had been staying at Elephant Nature Park for over three and a half years. She originally came to stay at the Park after her last three pregnancies ended in miscarriage due to overwork in the trekking industry. Her owner wanted her to rest and get healthy and ended up liking the way the elephants lived and were cared for at the Park, so Mae Elu was able to stay for a long time.

During her time here at Elephant Nature Park, Mae Elu became an auntie to Tong Jan and was a member of her family group until she left at the beginning of March. She was also a part-time friend to Kham Sai, and would make trips to Elephant Haven with her. Mae Elu and Kham Sai had worked together before arriving at Elephant Nature Park. Before Tong Jan and her mother came to live at the Park, Mae Elu spent her time with Kham Sai. Sadly for Kham Sai, when Tong Jan arrived, Mae Elu only wanted to stay with the Tong Jan family, and Kham Sai was left with no companion.

We were sad to see Mae Elu have to return to a life of work, but as nice as she was with her family group, Mae Elu on occasion could be aggressive with some of our older and handicapped elephants, and we had to keep their safety and best interests in mind. Mae Elu was able to gain weight and become healthy while staying at Elephant Nature Park and she was able to enjoy being in a family group and roaming freely all day long. We hope that her mahout owner learned something during her stay with us and that it will have a positive effect on how he cares for his elephants in the future.

Yet another mother and baby who had come to stay at Elephant Nature Park for maternity leave, left after ten months of rest and relaxation. Mae Boonchu arrived last May 1st, with Tong Kham still riding along in her swollen belly and gave birth to him at our Park on May 24th. The pair enjoyed their time here and attracted a number of attentive aunties during their stay, the last two being Mae Geao and Mae Jarunee. Mae Jarunee has had a very hard time accepting the loss of Mae Boonchu and Tong Kham, and still hasn't really gotten over it. We were hoping that they would have stayed here longer, but their owner was more interested in getting Mae Boonchu back to work. It is always sad to see a leased elephant have to return to a life of work and exploitation, but with some owners, buying isn't an option. At least these elephants get a bit of time in their long lives to enjoy roaming free of chains or a trekking seat, and get to experience a period of time in a family/social group similar to those lucky enough to live safely in the wild. This is all that we can do for them.

Another Tragedy: Max Passes Away

We at Elephant Nature Park are so sad to have to announce yet another tragic loss. Good old Max passed away at approximately 11:00 am on April 17th. His legs had finally given out on him and he could no longer get himself up even with help. On April 12th he was given a dose of ibuprofen in the late afternoon to see if it would help relieve his pain. He didn't lay down that night, but the ibuprofen really seemed to help him, as the next morning he was ready to get moving to all of his usual and favorite places. First he went to his neighbor's hut for his usual palm sugar cubes and a recent addition to his menu, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which had became a favorite of Max's. After this, he spent some time with the Mae Tong Dee/Tong Tae family and then he was escorted for a bit by Mintra and Malai Tong as he made his way to the river. He stayed at the river for some time, enjoying the fresh water and the sunshine and the beautiful blue sky. From here he slowly but purposefully made his way up to the feeding platform. He wasn't moving any slower than he would have on a normal day for Max. Everyone was so happy that he had made it up to the platform to have lunch. He even went to the mud pit and stayed there for about a half an hour splashing himself. Max had his abscess treated and then it was time to start making his way home. He received another dose of ibuprofen that evening. Again that night he didn't lay down, and the next morning it was obvious that he was feeling the effects of all of his activity the day before. He stayed mostly back by the big fig tree where he could lean against it and hang his trunk from a large branch, when he moved it was very slowly. As the day progressed he was trying not to bear any weight on his front legs at all. He was given another dose of ibuprofen but at this point it didn't seem to be helping him. He seemed so exhausted that we were sure he would lay down on this night, and were also sure that he wouldn't be able to get up the next morning.

As was expected, Max did lay down that night. In the morning he tried valiantly to get up on his feet, but his legs just didn't have the strength to do what he wanted them to do. We just couldn't put him through the indignity of being pulled up by the crane yet again, knowing how much pain he was in when standing and knowing when he laid down again we would be back in the same predicament.

Elephant Nature Park's most gentle giant had been having a hard time getting up in the morning since January. Max, our grand old man and the favorite of most female elephants and guests of the Park, was feeling the effects of his past injuries. Max had a lot of bad luck in his past working life. Most of you who have visited the Park or have read the elephant biographies on our website know Max's story. When Max was working as a street begging elephant in Bangkok, he was hit by an 18-wheel truck while walking along a super highway on his way "home" from work one night. The accident resulted in a broken right front wrist, also the elbow joint of the same leg suffered some damage, as well as his left front wrist. As the years passed, the pain of arthritis set in, making Max feel reluctant to put weight on his front legs so he started to lean back and bear most of his weight on his rear legs.

Years of standing in this unnatural position, had taken its toll and his back legs started giving him trouble as well. Besides this, Max had went into musth at his usual time last November. While in musth, testosterone levels surge and Max overexerted himself in ways that added insult to injury. Since Max's musth ended in mid-January, he had been having more trouble getting up in the mornings than he had in the past. He could always get himself upright, but it seemed that his back legs went to sleep underneath him and he had trouble getting them to move to lift himself up. On most mornings he needed the help of a good push from behind and underneath to get him up onto his knees, and then some pushing on his hamstrings to get him totally standing. Until recently, this had only taken two people, but sadly about two weeks ago a severe rainstorm occurred in the middle of the night and complicated things.

When Max stayed at his shelter at night, he usually laid down out under the stars in a spot where there is a natural hill and hollow that cradled and supported him. The night of the rainstorm, there was much thunder, lightning, heavy wind and rain. Max stayed under his shelter and didn't lay down. The next night, after not sleeping the night before, Max was tired and needed to sleep. He laid down in his normal spot. By morning, after shifting around and urinating a few times he was settled in a muddy slick. He tried to get up on to his knees, but all of the mud made the ground too slippery and he exhausted himself trying to get up. This ended up being a very long day for Max and for everyone who was working hard to help him. After pushing wasn't successful, the tractor was brought over, hoping to help pull him up from the front. When that didn't work, a crane had to be called in as the last resort. This was very stressful and undignified for Max, but he wasn't going to get up any other way, so there was no other choice. Finally, he was standing again at 3:30pm, shaky and worn out, but on all four legs.

(We would like to mention a special thanks to the visiting team of elephant people from Surin, who were very helpful in getting Max back on his feet. Some of them even remembered Max from his Surin days when he went by the name of Pang Somboon. The teamwork between Elephant Nature Park staff and the folks from Surin resulted in a happy ending for Max on this stressful day.)

Since that day, Max had been reluctant to lay down except at points of extreme exhaustion, but sadly, it was not easy for him to stand all night long and not sleep at all. With all of his aches and pains, getting a good night's sleep was very important to Max, but the stress of getting up in the morning took a lot of effort and was very draining for Max. We tried to make Max as comfortable as possible. He was given high energy foods to build up his strength, without putting too much extra weight on him to add more stress on his joints. He was getting ibuprofen to help ease his discomfort and we extended the roof on his shelter to keep his sleeping space dry. In the past two weeks we needed the crane to lift him two times. It had been decided that if Max got to a point where it was too stressful and difficult for him and he doesn't seem to want to try to get up, we would stop putting him through the stress of raising him up. It was a very difficult decision to have to make as when Max was standing and moving around (though very slowly), he had a great appetite, flapped his ears, was alert and enjoyed the company of all of the elephants who came to visit him.

We all love Max very much and we know that there are many people out there who have fostered Max, or have been lucky enough to meet Max who also love him as much as we do. We were so very lucky to have such an amazing being as Max in our lives for the past six and a half years. His presence will be greatly missed by all who knew him, human, elephant and even the dogs. Max was a living example that despite past hardships, one can always move forward with dignity and a gentle, peaceful character.

Faa Mai Arrives as Max Passes On

The event we have all been waiting for has finally arrived, and though it was a day for great celebration, it was overshadowed by sorrow. The first baby ever born to an Elephant Nature Park ele, took us by surprise by entering into this world between 2am and 4am on Friday, April 17th. We have been so caught up in caring for Max, that the imminent arrival of a new life had slipped our minds, and sadly on the same day that we welcomed Faa Mai we had to say goodbye to the gentle and dignified grand old man, Max.

Here was the circle of life, happening before our very eyes. Max's suffering has ended and he will be greatly missed, but the elephant god has given us a new little life to focus on to help ease our sadness.

Faa Mai, which means "a new day" or "a new beginning," is beautiful, healthy, strong and sure-footed. Mae Bua Tong seems very content. Tong Jan and Faa Sai can hardly contain their excitement. Tong Jan finally has the younger sibling that she has been waiting for. Mae Thai is patiently waiting to get closer to the new mom and baby, but Mae Somboon seemed a bit overwhelmed by all of the excitement and was willingly led out to spend the day with her other family group/girlfriends, Mae Perm and Mae Jokia.

Dok Ngern, who has been spending most of her time with Mintra, Malai Tong and Mae Dta Keow as of late, could not contain her excitement and around lunch time, ran over to the shelter screaming and bellowing, stretching her trunk to get closer to Faa Mai. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and climbed over the railing and got in the shelter with Mae Bua Tong and Faa Mai. Thankfully this didn't cause any stress, Mae Bua Tong didn't mind Dok Ngern's company at all. Will Dok Ngern completely move in with this family group now? She loves being an auntie and needs all the experience she can get as she may have her own "bun in the oven" so to speak.

It is so exciting to finally have a baby born at Elephant Nature Park whose mother is not leased, who will never be taken away, never go through the Phajaan and never live a life of exploitation. Hence the name, Faa Mai. Here we are at the beginning of a new year in the Buddhist calendar. This past year ended with the loss of two majestic bulls and the leaving of some beloved leased eles, but hopefully Faa Mai's arrival heralds a "new beginning" and possibly yet another birth as the year continues on. Stay tuned as we will be keeping you updated on Faa Mai, her growth progress and all of her first moments and discoveries.

Mae Kham Geao Permanent Resident Thanks to Generous Day People

Mae Kham Geao, who arrived last October 1st, never has to worry about returning to a life of work thanks to a couple who came for a day visit and before the day had ended, made the decision to donate the money so that Mae Kham Geao could stay at Elephant Nature Park forever. Chris and Susan Arger were touched by the many stories about the Park's rescued and leased elephants that were told to them during their visit. When they found out that Mae Kham Geao's owners wanted to sell her and that we were hoping to be able to buy her, Chris and Susan decided that this was a wonderful and unforgettable way to commemorate Susan's birthday.

Mae Kham Geao has really settled in to a life of relaxation and leisure at Elephant Nature Park. She seemed to come back to life within weeks of her arrival. Her mahout/owner who came along with her, couldn't believe the change in her. He was so happy to see her doing well, that he had a change of heart regarding her and talked the rest of his family into not selling her to someone who wanted to use her for street begging, and selling her to Elephant Nature Park instead. This mahout/owner, whose name was Bila, even took a cut in his earnings so that the other owners wouldn't lose money on the sale. Bila just wanted Mae Kham Geao to be happy, and knew that after coming here, it would be misery to put her back to work. It is nice to know that there are owners like Bila out there who consider their elephant's well-being and that there are wonderful, kind-hearted people like the Argers who are willing to donate the funds needed to give those elephants a better life.

Mintra Fits Right in and Malai Tong Becomes Her 'Big Sister Auntie'

On February 27th Elephant Nature Park welcomed a new arrival. Her name is Mintra and she is somewhere between 10 to 14 years old. She has a handicap similar to Medo's with the same sloping back and similar limping walk. At some point in the past, her hips have been damaged in some way, though we are not sure exactly how. We know that when Mintra was approximately 4 years old, she was hit by a car while street begging, and think it is possible that she could have gotten an initial injury when she was a baby, following along behind her mother who probably was an illegal logging elephant in Mae Hong Son, where Mintra originated from.

Mintra's last job, and what she has done for most of her life, was street begging. She was working at the Siam Square super shopping plaza in Bangkok. Lek found out about her from many letters, phone calls and emails from visitors and volunteers on their way to and from Elephant Nature Park, passing through Bangkok who would see her begging in this busy area. All who saw her felt so sad for this young, handicapped elephant forced to spend her days breathing the smog and exhaust fumes and exposed to all of the noise and chaos that a big city has to offer. Sadly, her owner didn't have any other choice, as there was no other way to earn a living with an elephant in her condition.

When Lek contacted the owner to see if he was interested in selling her, he told Lek that he was, but he also had another interested buyer. In the end the owner chose to sell to Lek as he liked the idea of Mintra getting to spend the rest of her life in a sanctuary, where she could roam freely and socialize. And socialize she is doing! She immediately fell right in with the Mae Tong Dee/Tong Tae family group and Malai Tong really fell in love with her and declared herself "big sister auntie." We later found out the reason Mintra and Malai Tong got on so well is that when Malai Tong was street begging in Bangkok, she was in an area close to where Mintra was working. The two girls had met and become friends during this time. Possibly when they weren't working they may have shared the same vacant lot or underpass. What a lovely reunion for them here at Elephant Nature Park.

At the time of this writing, she and Malai Tong are spending less time with the rest of the family group, though they get along with them well. Dok Ngern also really enjoys their company and when the three of them get together, there is a lot of trumpeting and bellowing. Tong Daeng really likes Mintra and tries to engage her in wrestling sessions. Sometimes she humors him and pushes back for a bit. Mintra gets a positive reaction from everyone that she encounters socially from Tong Jan and Faa Sai to Mae Lanna and Medo, whom she shares a shelter with at lunchtime. She is irresistibly cute, full of personality and isn't afraid to express herself. It is so hard to imagine her having to spend her days pounding the pavements with no friends to socialize with, but now, she is making up for lost time.

Thanks to Darrick Thomson, Mintra is a permanent resident of Elephant Nature Park and she never has to worry about having to return to a life of exploitation. For the rest of her days she can enjoy freedom, family, food and fun with her many new (and old!) ele-friends.

Ele Gossip – Who's Hangin' With Who

The young and lovely Tong Jan just celebrated her fourth birthday on February 14th. Her life has settled into a pleasant routine, and she has become really attached to her adopted big sister, Faa Sai. Both Tong Jan and Faa Sai have been straying from mom and aunties on a regular basis to spend time with little Tong Tae. They seem to find him irresistible (as does almost every other ele and human in the Park!) and love to sniff him, touch him, and play gently with him. For Tong Jan, this is good practice for a possible role as big sister in the future. Tong Jan's family seem to be doing fine despite the return of auntie Mae Elu to the working world. Mae Elu is actually not very far away, just a five minute walk down the road. Occasionally you can hear elephants bellowing from this camp and some of our elephants responding late at night. It might be Mae Elu calling to the Tong Jan family, and them responding to her calls.

Playing in the mud pit after noontime bathing has become popular once again. Tong Jan and Faa Sai have loads of fun with Tong Daeng and even little Tong Tae, who is now feeling confident enough to join in on the mud pit action. Out of the mud pit, Tong Daeng likes to spend most of his time with Tong Jan's family, wrestling with Faa Sai and Tong Jan. Tong Daeng seems to be infatuated with Faa Sai. The two are a good match and both have such troubled, exploitive pasts, they seem to understand each other well.

Tong Daeng is feeling so confident these days that he is initiating shoving and wrestling matches with Tong Suk, who enjoys a good wrestling match whenever he can get one. Jungle Boy (Tong Suk) who is now 7½ years old and going through an amazing growth spurt, is spending less time with his aunties Mae Keow and Lilly (who are spending most of their time with Khum Min (Kham Meun) who is in musth at this time). Lilly no longer makes the weekly trips to Elephant Haven with Tong Suk and Mae Keow, as she walks very slowly due to being excessively overworked in the past.

But now Mae Bua Kham, who is supposedly the oldest elephant in the Park, has became so healthy and robust, that she has started making the weekly trip to Elephant Haven. The hope was that she would be company for Mae Kham Sai, but so far the two elephants have not seemed to connect. In the meantime, Mae Bua Kham is really enjoying the change in scenery and greenery that comes with Haven trips.

Mae Vi Lai, an older elephant who was brought here on a temporary basis to treat an abscess on her foot and to let her rest, was taken back to work by her owner on February 16th. The abscess was not yet healed, but the owner decided he wanted to take her back. Apparently, her mahout disagreed and felt that she should not return to work as of yet, and threatened to quit if she was put back to work. We do not know if Mae Vi Lai was indeed put back to work or not, but her mahout's reaction was a good example of a mahout thinking in the best interests of the elephant. Mae Vi Lai did enjoy her time at Elephant Nature Park, and the company of Mae Boon, Aura and Dok Ngern. (Mae Dta Keow was too shy to really get to know her.)

Khum Min (Kham Meun) is now in musth and on most days is enjoying the constant company of female admirers Mae Keow and Lilly. Sometimes Jungle Boy, their adopted nephew is visiting as well. The first signs of heavy temporin were noticed on March 14th, so this was considered the official start of his annual musth. About three weeks earlier he was showing signs of coming in to musth and was chained at that time as a precaution.

Kham Meun and his mahout, Supon have a really good relationship based on mutual trust and respect. Usually even the mahout who cares for a male elephant cannot safely approach the bull while he is in musth, but while feeding Kham Meun (who was streaming temporin) Supon was able to stand just a few feet away, still within his elephant's reach and Kham Meun seemed to not be bothered in the least by his mahouts presence. This is not normal behavior for a bull in musth and could very well have something to do with the relationship that has developed between the two.

Hope, the clown prince, is in the process of accepting a new mahout, Tae Reh, who has been a mahout at Elephant Nature Park for more than two years now. Most recently, Tae Reh was the mahout of Boon Khum. This has seemed to work in Tae Reh's favor as Hope is accepting him as an authority figure more easily than some others who have tried to work with Hope in the past. As we have mentioned before, it is important that Hope has new mahouts working with him on a semi-regular basis, so he doesn't get so comfortable with one person, that he decides he won't listen to anyone else. Hope is now approximately 8½ years old and March was his anniversary month of arriving to stay at Elephant Nature Park. It has been a joy to have Hope in our lives for the past seven years and to watch him grow up without any torture training, never losing that glint of mischief in his eye.

Team From Surin Stays at Elephant Nature Park for One Week to Learn and Observe

The first week of April, Elephant Nature Park hosted a team of people from Surin who work in elephant-related tourism. The Surin province has the biggest elephant population in Thailand, but not many tourists visit this area. Elephant Nature Park is trying to help change this by teaming up with the government and the people in Surin to create something similar to our sanctuary in the Mae Taeng valley. The government has donated 3,500 acres and the idea is to create a homestay. The project will also include a volunteer program and an education program for day visitors similar to Elephant Nature Park. The idea is to "Bring the elephant back home" to Surin, as most of Surin's elephants are on the streets of Bangkok as this is the only way their owners can earn a living with them at this time.

Gidtipon, the director of the Elephant Institute of Surin stayed at Elephant Nature Park for one week, along with six mahouts, an elephant trainer, a local guide, a housekeeper and kitchen staff. They followed along with our staff to learn how the Park ran on a day-to-day basis. The visiting mahouts spent some of their time following our mahouts and also helped our volunteers with their daily chores. The week progressed well, with a great show of teamwork and a feeling of camaraderie between the staff of Elephant Nature Park and the visitors from Surin. Stay tuned for more details as this project moves forward.

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