ELEPHANT SANCTUARIES
There are lots of sanctuaries in Thailand and organisations all over the world at the moment trying to help the elephants in Thailand.
Sanctuaries aim to help elephants by keeping them in a safe environment away from poachers, along with helping rehabilitate any elephants that have been rescued. Elephants in Thailand are poached for numerous things - including their skin/tusks, and to be used in work or entertainment.
Three organisations that work with and aim to help the elephants are Elephant Nature Park, POD (Personal Overseas Development), and Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. Below is some information on each of these organisations.
Elephant Nature Park
Elephant Nature Park is a project set in Chiang Mai province, Northern Thailand and was established in the 1990′s. The park is located roughly 60km from the city. Their aim has always been to provide a sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants. They have provided a sanctuary for dozens of distressed elephants from all over Thailand. The park is set in a natural valley, bordered by a river, and surrounded by forested mountains. Through the development of the park they are providing a haven for the elephants. The organisation encourages people to come and visit and volunteer. Volunteers help prepare the elephants food, feed them, bath them in the river and help with any maintenance tasks around the park. Jobs are also offered at the park to come and work with the elephants.
POD - Personal Overseas Development
POD is a tropical wildlife centre based on temple grounds, located 2.5 hours south of Bangkok, near Cha Am in a very natural and peaceful location. The organisation care for Asian elephants rescued from a harsh working life. They encourage volunteers to come to the centre in Thailand and help care for the elephants. Volunteering includes feeding and giving water to elephants, help with the cleaning of enclosures, hosing down and cleaning elephants, and going out approximately three times a week to harvest and collect food for the elephants from local farms - pineapples, bananas etc. Elephant volunteers also look after some other domesticated animals on site. There are currently 7 elephants that live at the centre.
POD ensures that the elephants in Thailand are able to spend their days on natural ground, breathing clean fresh air, and eating as much as they like, with the company of other elephants and having the care of experienced mahouts and veterinary staff.
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand is a centre built on temple land. The Elephant Refuge Camp & Education Centre is a sanctuary located about 160 kilometres south west of Bangkok. It is surrounded by nearby forests that give elephants the chance to roam around in their "original, natural" habitat.
The organisation currently runs several projects including hands-on wildlife rescue, medical care, wildlife, rehabilitation, research on wildlife and marine mammals as well as the release of wild animals back to the wild. They welcome people to come and volunteer to give care to the elephants. The centre always love some help from animal lovers whether in the form of volunteer work, donations or professional help such as veterinary experience. Volunteers will be taught everything needed to know about the care of elephants. Volunteers work hands-on with the elephants, washing them, feeding them during the day, going out to collect food for them, and cleaning their enclosure. Adoptions of the animals are also offered by the organisation.
Main objectives of Organisation:
Rescue wild animals
- From places where they are maltreated and/or neglected
- Help them to spend the rest of their lives in a sanctuary as close to the natural environment as possible with the best possible care
- Aim to rescue those animals who have suffered at the hands of humans, rehabilitating and releasing where possible, and caring for those who are unable to be returned to the wild
- Aim to provide the best possible standard of living and a life as close to the wild for the animals
Educate people
- Particularly children, to stop cruelty to animals
- Campaign against the illegal trade in wild animals for the pet industry
- Discourage the use of animals for entertainment (animal shows)
Prevent hunting and promote conservation
- Of all natural resources, fauna and flora
- Educate local people, tourists and the international community to understand and protect wild animals and their rainforest habitat
- Cooperate with and assist the Royal Forestry Department and other organizations that are also concerned with the rescue and conservation of wild animals
Gather knowledge
- Hopefully start up a release program for those animals that qualify for re-introduction into the wild
- Set up and join activities with other charitable organizations and authorities for the public benefit
Sanctuaries aim to help elephants by keeping them in a safe environment away from poachers, along with helping rehabilitate any elephants that have been rescued. Elephants in Thailand are poached for numerous things - including their skin/tusks, and to be used in work or entertainment.
Three organisations that work with and aim to help the elephants are Elephant Nature Park, POD (Personal Overseas Development), and Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. Below is some information on each of these organisations.
Elephant Nature Park
Elephant Nature Park is a project set in Chiang Mai province, Northern Thailand and was established in the 1990′s. The park is located roughly 60km from the city. Their aim has always been to provide a sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants. They have provided a sanctuary for dozens of distressed elephants from all over Thailand. The park is set in a natural valley, bordered by a river, and surrounded by forested mountains. Through the development of the park they are providing a haven for the elephants. The organisation encourages people to come and visit and volunteer. Volunteers help prepare the elephants food, feed them, bath them in the river and help with any maintenance tasks around the park. Jobs are also offered at the park to come and work with the elephants.
POD - Personal Overseas Development
POD is a tropical wildlife centre based on temple grounds, located 2.5 hours south of Bangkok, near Cha Am in a very natural and peaceful location. The organisation care for Asian elephants rescued from a harsh working life. They encourage volunteers to come to the centre in Thailand and help care for the elephants. Volunteering includes feeding and giving water to elephants, help with the cleaning of enclosures, hosing down and cleaning elephants, and going out approximately three times a week to harvest and collect food for the elephants from local farms - pineapples, bananas etc. Elephant volunteers also look after some other domesticated animals on site. There are currently 7 elephants that live at the centre.
POD ensures that the elephants in Thailand are able to spend their days on natural ground, breathing clean fresh air, and eating as much as they like, with the company of other elephants and having the care of experienced mahouts and veterinary staff.
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand is a centre built on temple land. The Elephant Refuge Camp & Education Centre is a sanctuary located about 160 kilometres south west of Bangkok. It is surrounded by nearby forests that give elephants the chance to roam around in their "original, natural" habitat.
The organisation currently runs several projects including hands-on wildlife rescue, medical care, wildlife, rehabilitation, research on wildlife and marine mammals as well as the release of wild animals back to the wild. They welcome people to come and volunteer to give care to the elephants. The centre always love some help from animal lovers whether in the form of volunteer work, donations or professional help such as veterinary experience. Volunteers will be taught everything needed to know about the care of elephants. Volunteers work hands-on with the elephants, washing them, feeding them during the day, going out to collect food for them, and cleaning their enclosure. Adoptions of the animals are also offered by the organisation.
Main objectives of Organisation:
Rescue wild animals
- From places where they are maltreated and/or neglected
- Help them to spend the rest of their lives in a sanctuary as close to the natural environment as possible with the best possible care
- Aim to rescue those animals who have suffered at the hands of humans, rehabilitating and releasing where possible, and caring for those who are unable to be returned to the wild
- Aim to provide the best possible standard of living and a life as close to the wild for the animals
Educate people
- Particularly children, to stop cruelty to animals
- Campaign against the illegal trade in wild animals for the pet industry
- Discourage the use of animals for entertainment (animal shows)
Prevent hunting and promote conservation
- Of all natural resources, fauna and flora
- Educate local people, tourists and the international community to understand and protect wild animals and their rainforest habitat
- Cooperate with and assist the Royal Forestry Department and other organizations that are also concerned with the rescue and conservation of wild animals
Gather knowledge
- Hopefully start up a release program for those animals that qualify for re-introduction into the wild
- Set up and join activities with other charitable organizations and authorities for the public benefit