Elephant Nature Park in Mae Taeng, Thailand

To read the entire story about my visit to the Elephant Nature Park in Mae Taeng, Thailand, go to https://holeinthedonut.com/2014/02/08..., and if you enjoyed this video, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

In the hills an hour north of Chiang Mai, Thailand, elephants rescued from circuses, logging operations, and street begging are cared for at Elephant Nature Park. Unlike other "elephant camps" in the area, they are not used for entertainment. Guests do not ride the elephants, nor are the mahouts permitted to use bull hooks to train them.

The park is the inspiration and passion of Lek Chailert, a diminutive woman who fell in love with elephants at the age of 16, when she trekked with missionaries into the jungle and saw a bull elephant with deep gashes in his chest from ropes used to drag logs out of the forest. He was screaming in pain and angry, and Lek knew she had to do something. As soon as she saved enough money, she returned with medicine and before long villagers and mahouts were telling her about other elephants that were suffering. Eventually she was able to purchase acreage and build the camp that now cares for 37 elephants, 7 of whom are totally blind from abuse, as well as a plethora or other abandoned or abused animals, including dogs, cats, goats, cows, buffalo, and more.

Visitors to the park spend the day learning about elephants, feeding them, and bathing them in the river. The park has an office in Chiang Mai that arranges for day trips, which include pick up from local hotels as well as van transportation there and back.