Who hasn’t got a soft spot for elephants? For some reason, these lumbering gentle, giants of the jungle with their intelligent eyes and almost hand-like tusks seem to hold a special place in the hearts of many of us…

For thousands of years, elephants have worked alongside human beings – often helping to carry or move heavy loads as well as providing a sedate (if somewhat precarious) form of transportation.  Despite their great size, if well-treated and handled with care, they work hard, do not complain or protest and can live long lives as obedient and trusting companions.

Yet sadly, these days it is hard to travel far in South East Asia without coming across elephants being abused – being made to work in a dangerous city environment, forced to perform awkward and unnatural tricks for the tourists or simply left chained up day after day, with no company (elephants are sociable animals) and often with very little to eat.

How has this come about and is there an alternative solution?

Progress has a lot to answer for. In recent years, the forest in Thailand has decreased considerably due to deforestation and the establishment of eucalyptus plantations. With less work in the forests, there is less logging work - the main occupation of domestic elephants for many years. As food supplies in the forest also decline, the mahouts need to find another source of income in order to take care of their elephants.

Some bring their elephants to big cities like Bangkok and try to make money from tourists. However, the Bangkok streets are treacherous for elephants because of the numerous cars, not to mention the fact that it is not always easy to find the 200 kg of food each animal needs per day. Elephants can also damage the roads and can be a danger to the local people. Some mahouts take very poor care of their animals and their elephants are kept in awful conditions. They are jabbed with knives and spears, overworked and overdosed on amphetamines to increase their stamina.

The Thai government attempted to solve the problem by banning all elephants from the city however this solution proved to be flawed as several animals died of starvation. Unlikely as it might seem tourism appears to be an answer in order to guarantee a good future for the domestic elephants in Thailand but it needs to be controlled well. At present almost 70% of the baby elephants working in tourism are believed to have been poached from the wild. Poachers often kill the mother in order to get the calf. Hopefully this situation will improve as most national parks with wild elephants are now well protected and many programs have been set up in order to ensure the survival of the wild elephants.

So how can tourism help?

Trekking and performing in shows are two obvious examples of how elephants can earn their keep from the tourists, and indeed, if well managed, both can offer a far more harmless option than many of the alternative ways of earning a living, however, a new project located in a quiet area of Pattaya, is pioneering a new kind of tourism which offers benefits to both the elephants and the mahouts as well as to the visitors who support them.

The project is situated at Thaithong Elephant camp which is cut off from the roads giving the elephants have a spacious area where they can eat, bath and relax. Currently there are about 15 domestic elephants living here together with their mahouts. The elephants here are treated like friends and have been trained well by their mahouts. The elephants offer short treks with tourists who visit the park, and who in this way, can financially support the mahouts and the elephants, however, through their partnership with the park, Go Differently and their partners in Thailand are now able to offer the opportunity for longer term volunteering here. 

The 1-4 week project offers a great opportunity to get a basic understanding of the Thai domestic elephant and their relation with their mahout. During their stay, volunteers not only learn how to ride their elephant but also how to care for it. They can also learn about the traditional life of the mahouts and become very close with their community, often joining in with various communal activities.  At the end of their stay, each volunteer receives a certificate that proves their skills as an elephant handler. By creating jobs and financial support, the project’s aim is that the mahouts and elephants can stay together at the camp forever and enjoy a fairly easy and pleasant future.

Each volunteer who joins the project generates income for the local people and for the elephants. In this way the elephants do not need to go to out begging on the streets and they are not forced to perform illegal logging. As well as educating the volunteers, the project also focuses on educating the mahouts and thereby improving standards of elephant handling in general.

Currently there are about 15 domestic elephants who live at the project with their mahouts.  Volunteers become part of this community for at least a week and work together with the elephants and the mahouts, learning how to control the elephant and as well as cleaning and washing them during the day.  There is plenty to learn both about the domestic elephants and about Thai culture.  Volunteers are also encouraged to help educate the tourists who visit the project for elephant rides, and are consequently taught a lot about the elephants to enable them to answer any questions.  As part of the experience, volunteers are also expected to support with activities such as cleaning and cooking.

The volunteers usually work Monday to Saturday, starting around 6.30 am, followed by breakfast at 8.00 am.  Task performed include preparing food, bathing of the elephants, cleaning the area, guiding and supplying information to tourists… and of course, practice controlling the elephant.  Work finishes around 3, although if volunteers wish, they are also very welcome to spend some time teaching English to the local people.  Evenings and weekends are free.