Chiang Mai - Part Two

On my second day word of mouth takes me to the Elephant Nature Park. Unlike the majority of animal attractions being peddled at every corner, Lek and her team have created a genuine sanctuary where a loving ethos is the only agenda. The elephants are not working to entertain the thousands of backpackers passing through Chiang Mai every year. This is their home, and its doors are thrown open to willing hands eager to make contact with these spectacular animals, and educate themselves on the miserable reality for so many of them.

The setting is indeed a sanctuary and not just in practical terms. Nestled in a valley that's bordered by a river and surrounded by forested mountains, this flourishing landscape provides a happy ending for so many heartbreaking stories. Like Jokia, a gentle old lady rescued for a fee of two thousand dollars from illegal loggers. She was forced to work through her entire pregnancy and sadly lost her baby not long after giving birth. Heartbroken, Jokia refused to eat and depression eventually took hold of her. In a savage attempt to get her working again, the loggers blinded her in one eye with a catapult, but she refused to move and so they took out her second eye along with her spirit. Such cruelty is impossible to fathom and I sob uncontrollably as I gaze up into her weary face. No one should know such suffering and I wonder about the hundreds of animals that were not quite as 'lucky' as Jokia.

With less than a full day to make a difference, I throw myself into the relaxed routine carved out by the other volunteers fortunate enough to stay at Lek's farm. Duties include preparing the food, feeding the elephants and restocking the pantry after the animals have been fed. Feeding time is like babysitting and I giggle as my mischievous ward insists on hurling the vegetables back in favour of watermelon which he seeks out with his hungry trunk. Bellies eventually full and alliances formed, we then take our giant toddlers down to the river where the remains of the day are spent frolicking in the water. Elephants love bath time and relish every cold bucket of water thrown in their direction. Totally drenched from various counter-attacks, the time quickly comes for reluctant farewells and I jump on a bus headed back to the city.

In the haze of so many happy encounters it would be easy to forget the reason why we were all there to begin with. As I leave however, I'm dealt a harsh reminder when I pass a solitary female recently admitted and shunned by the herd. Hideously underweight and covered in open sores, these wounds are a result of the bullhooks used by elephant trainers. As I stare out the window at the retreating farm, I consider the day's lesson and the reality that most tourists will be seduced into unknowingly supporting this animal cruelty...

The Elephant Nature Park

Jokia

Elephant Pantry

Bathtime

Boisterous Baby