Now this blog is a difficult one, not because I’m lost for words (a very rare occurrence) but because my week at ENP was one of the best times of my life so far and I have waaaaaay too many things to tell you, but ill give it a wiz and hopefully I will be able to portray my amazing experiences through the power of blog!
When I arrived in Chiang Mai I didn’t know what to expect, I was aware that I had booked a week with ENP but going off their website my expectations didn’t go further than a tiny hut in the middle of nowhere surrounded by elephants ALONE. I couldn’t have been more wrong it was simply beautiful…not just the place, but the people aswell (I made some awesome friends, a couple are American but I won’t hold that against them :p) The land stretched for miles surrounded by jungle, with a river flowing through it. The building was huge and the bedrooms were sooo cute, all my previous fears had disappeared within minutes of seeing it. Luckily I had an awesome room mate (Brenda Rodriguez) and that just added to the fun J We immediately made friends with the lovely Kate Comer, Holly Pfeiffer, Karen Gorham and Eline Van den berg and for the week we were inseparable.
Now it wasn’t just fun and games, we were told on the 1st day that we would be working, the park relies upon the help of the volunteers to keep it running. (However there was always plenty of free time to chill out, wander around ORRRR drink some thai moonshine, and play thai UNO!) We were separated into 4 groups and the jobs included….preparing the ele food, cleaning up the ele poo (not my favourite one :/) cutting corn, planting trees and pineapples, shovelling sand and watering plants and baby trees. But surrounded by elephants, the beautiful scenery and great company not one of these wasn’t fun J
In the evenings we would either have a talk from some of the people that made ENP possible, or have a laugh with our amazing volunteer co coordinators (Jack, Chet, Chai and Thep). The talks were very educational and extremely eye opening. We were told about how each and nearly every elephant in the park had been through extreme suffering in their lives, about how they were beaten and tortured by their previous mahouts (elephant trainers) and some even blinded! Despite the fact that the emblem of the elephant represents Thailand and they are considered sacred animals, the country still believes in hurting them to make them passive and trainable. This is were Lek comes in (Sangduen Chailert) since she was a young girl she has fought against the traditional practice of the “Crush” (a method of torture that is bestowed upon each elephant to crush their spirit and make them easy to control). When they are young the elephants are forced into wooden cages and beaten and stabbed until they succumb to the mahouts demands. This goes on for days and many elephants don’t survive this traumatic process, but if they do they are then forced into a hard life of entertaining tourists, being badly beaten and underfed. It is a controversial topic for Thailand as elephants are classed as domestic creatures (despite the figures of them declining rapidly) and Lek has struggled throughout the years to get support from Thai people, especially the government, to them it is simply a tradition and things like elephant rides and elephant shows bring tourism and money to Thailand.
But in reality the fact that we partake in these events does nothing but reaffirm to the people of Thailand that these methods of torture are necessary.
It has taken Lek years of hard work, constant campaigning and an unlimited amount of inner strength to achieve what she has managed today. With 35 elephants at the park including two babies, she has managed to buy abused elephants which have been close to deaths door from their mahouts and give them a home full of care and love. She has also managed to train young elephants that have never gone through “the Crush” with positive reinforcement – showing that painful and torturous methods are not needed.
However Lek’s fight for the elephants doesn’t stop there, with the recent flooding that consumed parts of Thailand, many cats and dogs were abandoned and left to die. With the help of volunteers Lek managed to buy boats and medical supplies to go to their aid. The elephant park and office is now full of many dogs and cats all being treated for any injuries or illnesses they sustained due to the floodings. I am glad to report that they all seemed very happy with their new home and seem to have no problems sunbathing next to the elephants J
My week there was not only eye opening but left me an emotional wreck when I had to leave. I sincerely believe that there isn’t a more beautiful and idyllic place to go both in vision but in cause aswell. Support Elephant Nature Park today!
