Elephant-Friendly Venues: We can be part of the solution 💚🐘

We visited “Following Giants”, Krabi. The owner, Khun Chalae’s story is inspiring, as he turned his business around. One that used to allow riding etc., to one we see as a truly ‘elephant-friendly’ venue. For example, only 1 person, the mahout, is allowed to talk to their elephant because we learned that elephants have rather high egos and don’t like being told by just anyone. I can totally relate! He mentioned that although this means they can accept fewer tourists than before, he can truly feel happy knowing he’s giving the elephants the best lives he can provide.

Not all places labeled as sanctuaries provide high welfare. Here’s a quick summary of what to look for, based on World Animal Protection’s criteria:

1. Is touching allowed? If you can ride, bathe, or touch elephants, they’ve likely been cruelly trained. Prove me wrong!

2. Are elephants behaving naturally? Elephants should roam freely and express natural behaviors, not be confined or forced to perform.

3. Are there baby elephants? If you see baby elephants, especially without their mothers, the venue is not elephant-friendly as they wouldn’t support captive breeding.

4. Are elephants and people safe? Elephants should be treated with kindness and respect. Hooks should only be used in emergencies. Crowding can make elephants unpredictable and dangerous, therefore keep your distance. Many tourists and mahouts are injured and killed each year. Even in elephant-friendly venues, you’ll often see mahouts accompanying elephants at a distance, to keep everyone safe.

Hope this helps!

Full guide and list found on link in bio 💗

#EthicalToursim #ElephantFriendlyVenues #WorldAnimalProtection #Thailand #Elephants