{"id":6626,"date":"2021-02-16T17:07:23","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T10:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/?p=6626"},"modified":"2022-05-06T11:59:41","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T04:59:41","slug":"elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/","title":{"rendered":"Elephant hugs and more\u2026 an insight into Thailand\u2019s elephant tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The recent Daily Mail British newspaper headline stabs at my heart:<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;Rescuers battle to save starving elephant found &#8216;days from death&#8217;, covered in sores and with bones protruding after it was neglected at Thai tourist park closed by Covid.&#8217; <\/em>The photographs are even more distressing, I have refrained from including here.<\/p>\n<p>To readers in the UK and across the globe, it is easy to judge as I have learnt over my five years in Thailand. I try to understand first and help second. I hope here to provide an insight into Thailand&#8217;s world of elephant care tourism and give you some options should you wish to offer some financial support for Thailand&#8217;s elephants.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6641 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-hugs.png?resize=735%2C1102&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"735\" height=\"1102\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-hugs.png?w=735&amp;ssl=1 735w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-hugs.png?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-hugs.png?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 735px) 100vw, 735px\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a09502b903ce\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a09502b903ce\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#UNDERSTANDING_THE_COMPLEXITY_OF_ELEPHANT_TOURISM\" >UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITY OF ELEPHANT TOURISM<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#TAT%22S_ELEPHANT_CARE_EXPERIENTIAL_TRIP\" >TAT\"S ELEPHANT CARE EXPERIENTIAL TRIP<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Thailands_Elephants\" >Thailand\u2019s Elephants<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Elephant_Tourism\" >Elephant Tourism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#TATS_Elephant_Care_strategy\" >TAT\u2019S Elephant Care strategy<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Communication\" >Communication<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Collaboration\" >Collaboration<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Compromise\" >Compromise<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Elephants_In_Thai_Culture\" >Elephants In Thai Culture\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Definition_Of_Ethical_Elephant_Sanctuaries\" >Definition Of Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#The_Research\" >The Research:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Should_elephants_be_returned_to_the_wild\" >Should elephants be returned to the wild?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Should_you_ride_elephants\" >Should you ride elephants?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Should_you_feed_elephants\" >Should you feed elephants?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Should_elephants_be_trained\" >Should elephants be trained?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Should_you_beat_elephants_with_a_bullhook\" >Should you beat elephants with a bullhook?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Should_elephants_be_chained\" >Should elephants be chained?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#My_final_thoughts\" >My final thoughts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/16\/elephant-hugs-and-more-an-insight-into-thailand-elephant-tourism\/#Recommendations_from_readers\" >Recommendations from readers:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"UNDERSTANDING_THE_COMPLEXITY_OF_ELEPHANT_TOURISM\"><\/span>UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITY OF ELEPHANT TOURISM<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">I was brought up to love all creatures great and small. I thought I had the elephant situation assessed; elephants should be in the wild, or in an ethical sanctuary for retired elephants. They should not perform tricks or paint, and we should not ride them for our pleasure. Covid has added additional difficulties, without 40 million predicted tourists, businesses have closed, people have lost jobs, and yes elephants are starving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6642 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3460-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3460-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3460-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3460-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3460-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3460-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<h6>TAT&#8221;S ELEPHANT CARE EXPERIENTIAL TRIP<\/h6>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My firm beliefs were challenged when in November 2020 I was invited by the <strong>Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)<\/strong> to join a trip to learn about Elephant Care. You can read the views of my fellow participants in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/02\/05\/meet-thailands-elephant-influencers\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Meet Thailand\u2019s Elephant Influencers<\/span><\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">But now for my own opinions and believe you me, this has taken some thought processing and even so, I remain uncertain even when I try to stick to the viewpoint that the elephant welfare comes first\u2026 but what about the humans, their safety and their livelihoods? <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">To say it is complex sounds like a copout, but it is true. Most likely, your viewpoint on domesticated elephant care depends on your cultural upbringing and heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6643 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3701-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3701-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3701-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3701-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3701-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3701-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>MY INTEREST IN ELEPHANT CARE<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Let\u2019s go a bit back in time. For my birthday in 2017, I attended elephant yoga at the <strong>King\u2019s Cup Elephant Polo<\/strong> tournament in Bangkok that raised money for elephant welfare. We previously stayed at the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp for our <\/span><span class=\"s3\">honeymoon?<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> (my husband was a zoologist) and the work of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpingelephants.org\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a> impressed.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6645\" style=\"width: 2058px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6645\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6645 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/elephant-show-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C910&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"910\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/elephant-show-1-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/elephant-show-1-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C233&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/elephant-show-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C796&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/elephant-show-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C597&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/elephant-show-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1195&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6645\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">King&#8217;s Cup Elephant polo fundraiser 2017<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Whilst we were enjoying our dawn yoga class overlooking the Chao Phraya River and watched on by the elephants waiting for their \u201cbrekkie,\u201d we were thinking we were doing the right thing supporting the elephant fundraiser. However, the PETA animal rights campaigners were filming and we ended up in the middle of an animal rights protest\u2026 From that moment on I knew that elephant welfare is complicated. The more I seem to understand Thailand, the less sure I have become of the validity of my own position on elephant welfare.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The TAT trip to Lampang and Chiang Mai introduced us to vets and elephant welfare experts, to learn about their latest research into elephant care.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6636\" style=\"width: 1120px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6636\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6636 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-10-e1613455743732.jpg?resize=1110%2C594&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"594\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-10-e1613455743732.jpg?w=1110&amp;ssl=1 1110w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-10-e1613455743732.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-10-e1613455743732.jpg?resize=1024%2C548&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-10-e1613455743732.jpg?resize=768%2C411&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6636\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thailand Elephant Conservation Centre learning from the experts.<\/p><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Thailands_Elephants\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Thailand\u2019s Elephants<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s1\">There are approximately 7000 elephants in Thailand, of these 3129 are captive of which 95% are privately owned; 2673 elephants work in tourism with 223 of them in camps. (2019 data supplied)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s1\">Government legislation exists to protect elephants in Thailand. Every domestic elephant must be registered.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6644 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Conservation-Centre-Lampang-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"1170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Conservation-Centre-Lampang-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Conservation-Centre-Lampang-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Conservation-Centre-Lampang-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Conservation-Centre-Lampang-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Conservation-Centre-Lampang-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Conservation-Centre-Lampang-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/h5>\n<h5><\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Elephant_Tourism\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Elephant Tourism<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">We visited four operators working in elephant tourism to see how Thailand is moving forward towards more sustainable solutions for elephant-based tourism. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Even the words \u2018elephant tourism\u2019 don\u2019t sit well with me. In my mind, these majestic animals should not have the word tourism tagged on to their existence. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Please don\u2019t think I am writing this as a Thailand elephant expert, quite the contrary. I want to share my perceived elephant dilemmas. It seems that the more I learn, the more there is to understand, the less certain I am. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The bottom line is that Thailand\u2019s \u2018domesticated\u2019 elephants are suffering from the global pandemic\u2019s economic impact, just as people are suffering. They need food; they need medical care just the same as their mahouts. The easiest fundraising comes via some form of human interaction with elephants whether it is watching the animals roam at a sanctuary, bathing, feeding, hugging or even riding the elephants. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">You could of course take the hard line that now is the time to break this cycle of the domestication of elephants. Release them back into the wild and stop breeding from captive elephants. However, as we found out, things are more complicated than that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6647 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3316-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3316-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3316-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3316-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3316-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3316-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"TATS_Elephant_Care_strategy\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">TAT\u2019S Elephant Care strategy<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">We were presented with three \u2018C\u2019s that are at the heart of TAT\u2019s strategy for elephant care crisis: C<\/span><span class=\"s5\">ommunication, Collaboration and Compromise<\/span><span class=\"s1\">. Hmmm, I\u2019m already uncomfortable with the last one where elephant welfare is concerned but let\u2019s continue!<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Communication\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Communication<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The need for awareness of the current elephant welfare situation. I\u2019m impressed with the diverse group of Influencers, bloggers and media that TAT invited for this learning experience. I saw this as a two-way process. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">TAT and their elephant experts\u2019 panel shared the knowledge and research of the condition of Thailand\u2019s captive elephants. We were given the opportunity to ask questions and share our ideas. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The final part was to share what we had gained in learning and understanding of Thailand\u2019s elephant care, via our various social media platforms. It felt like a weighty responsibility. To do the elephants justice and to share the knowledge learnt with others, especially as I ended up less sure of my own convictions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Collaboration\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Collaboration<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">TAT sees its role as collaborative, and as facilitator amongst many interested groups. It is also a conduit to gather feedback from Thailand\u2019s tourists.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Compromise\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Compromise<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">We heard a pragmatic approach, which suggested the need for compromise and balancing what TAT called Thailand\u2019s \u2018old belief cultures\u2019 with the \u2018modern ways\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6632 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-34.jpg?resize=1170%2C780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-34.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-34.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-34.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-34.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Elephants_In_Thai_Culture\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Elephants In Thai Culture\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Understanding Thailand\u2019s attitude towards domesticated elephant care must start with the respect and knowledge of Thai history and the important role elephants have had in Thai culture. From royalty to logging and even having played their part in wars, elephants are revered animals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The deep relationship between elephant and mahout is a special one, which develops over many decades, and lasts throughout the life of the elephant,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>sometimes up to 70 years. Some mahouts have had elephants in their families for many generations. It is an esteemed animal that provides families with an income originally from logging, more recently from tourism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Herein lies the<\/span><span class=\"s3\">\u00a0problem<strong>. <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"s1\">As I look at the issue of elephants through my Western lenses with my own cultural views of what is right or wrong, I\u2019m left wondering whether this is just one of those moments when I say \u201c<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><em>I\u2019m a guest in a foreign land, who am I to judge?<\/em>\u201d <\/span><span class=\"s1\">Furthermore, should I take the view for my moral sanity that I need to know more? That my tourist baht will only go to \u2018ethical&#8217; sanctuaries who put elephant welfare at the heart of their business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6639 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3300-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3300-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3300-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3300-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3300-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3300-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Definition_Of_Ethical_Elephant_Sanctuaries\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Definition Of Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries:<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p>A bit like the term free-range egg, the definition of an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary is open to interpretation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nomadsworld.com\/ethical-elephant-sanctuary\/#:~:text=Truly%20ethical%20elephant%20sanctuaries%20limit,with%20the%20elephants%20at%20all.\">Ben Barling from Trunk <\/a>suggests:&#8217;<em>Truly ethical elephant sanctuaries limits human-elephant interactions to a minimum to maintain the elephant\u2019s calm lifestyle. In fact, most that are confirmed to be ethical elephant sanctuaries don\u2019t allow the tourists to interact with the elephants at all&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Well, bring in the vets with their elephant studies, and the story gets a whole lot more complicated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6649 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kanta-Elephant-Sanctuary-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"1170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kanta-Elephant-Sanctuary-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kanta-Elephant-Sanctuary-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kanta-Elephant-Sanctuary-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kanta-Elephant-Sanctuary-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kanta-Elephant-Sanctuary-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kanta-Elephant-Sanctuary-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Research\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">The Research: <\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Over the three days of our visit, we listened to various researchers including those from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine<\/span><span class=\"s6\">,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">Chiang Mai University. Their research focused on stress hormones in elephants, and a general assessment by the vets of the animals\u2019 overall health and wellbeing, including dung analyses and interviews with mahouts. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The study responds to the differing areas of elephant tourism: elephant shows, riding elephants, interacting by bathing and feeding elephants, purely observational programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Let me share with you some of my ideas and my confusions:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6638 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3367-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C1560&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"1560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3367-scaled.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3367-scaled.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3367-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3367-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_elephants_be_returned_to_the_wild\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Should elephants be returned to the wild?<\/i><\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Historical hindsight is sad, seeing elephants captured and bred in captivity for work in the Thai logging Industry. However, too much time has passed and it is not that simple to return them to the wild. Where could they possibly live in Thailand without risk to humans and the destruction of their crops and homes? In Thailand, the natural elephant habitat has seriously shrunk and there is simply not enough remaining forest for them to live in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Most of the current captive elephants are third and fourth generation domestic animals. Can they live without human support? At Patara Farm, its elephant reintroduction program into nature returns a mother with her calf into the wild. The baby elephants, bred to return to the wild, have less human interaction, and therefore a greater chance of successful reintegration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">My original belief that all elephants should roam wild is challenged when I am asked if I would set my dog free because it is unfair and unnatural to keep him domesticated. Dogs roamed wild once and perhaps they should roam free\u2026 My heart misses a beat thinking about my loveable crazy poodle trying to find food, risking an accident, injury and lots more. To me, that is not right, but rather unfair to my dog that is not equipped to survive in nature\u2026 Am I now experiencing the same feelings mahouts feel about their elephants?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">But what if my wonderful pooch didn\u2019t eat a few kibbles a day and the odd sausage from the \u2018barbie\u2019? What if he needed to eat 300 kg a day and I couldn\u2019t afford to feed him?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6650 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3396-scaled-e1613465418301.jpg?resize=1170%2C1021&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"1021\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3396-scaled-e1613465418301.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3396-scaled-e1613465418301.jpg?resize=300%2C262&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3396-scaled-e1613465418301.jpg?resize=1024%2C894&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3396-scaled-e1613465418301.jpg?resize=768%2C671&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_you_ride_elephants\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Should you ride el<\/i><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><em><strong>ephants<\/strong><\/em>? <\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Elephants, as working animals in Thailand, have been ridden for decades. The veterinarian studies showed us that riding an elephant is not harmful providing the weight carried is less than 20% of its body weight and any seat is well fitted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s7\">This gets me thinking. <\/span><span class=\"s1\">Is there any difference between this and the more widely accepted idea that horse riding is ok?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Vets say that elephants typically walk 5-10 km a day in the wild, but domesticated elephants often do not have enough exercise, resulting in health issues from overweight, joint, foot and nail issues, birthing problems, all of growing concern. Elephants at rescue sanctuaries offering a riding experience have more exercise, which is healthier for the elephant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">We note that at the elephant sanctuaries we had visited it is possible to ride elephants, although interestingly this was not on our agenda. Was this because had it been offered perhaps none of us would have come?!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Having been staunchly opposed to elephant riding for so many years I am currently rethinking this. The thought that my bareback elephant ride through the forest was providing a healthy walk, exercise and money to feed the animal becomes enlightening? What do you think? <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">I know what I think! Yes, it is fine to help the current elephants but not to propagate the continuation of domesticated elephants\u2026somehow I feel this is unlikely. Because at the end of the day the elephant is a commodity, a status symbol and in pre-Covid days a means to an income. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">For further information read fellow Travel Writer Barbara Weibel\u2019s excellent article <a href=\"https:\/\/holeinthedonut.com\/2021\/01\/16\/should-tourists-in-thailand-ride-elephants\/\"><span class=\"s8\">Elephant Tourism to ride or not?<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h5><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6630 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-33.jpg?resize=1170%2C780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-33.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-33.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-33.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-low-res-33.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/h5>\n<h5><\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_you_feed_elephants\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Should you feed e<\/i><\/b><\/span><em><strong><span class=\"s5\">lephants?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Elephants need 300 kg of food daily. The tourist pays for the elephant\u2019s food. However, elephants need to have a well-balanced diet and they cannot live on sugar cane and bananas alone that tourist usually feeds the elephants. At <\/span><span class=\"s5\">Kanta Elephant Sanctuary, a <\/span><span class=\"s1\">feeding activity involves preparing balls that contain healthy food ingredients as well as medicine and daily nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Vets at the <\/span><span class=\"s5\">Thai Elephant Conservation Hospital in <\/span><span class=\"s1\">Lampang reported that prior to Covid-19 there were increasing issues from overweight elephants, creating a variety of issues. At the hospital, we were introduced to a female elephant recovering from an episiotomy performed while birthing her calf, a common problem in overweight elephants.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6631\" style=\"width: 1796px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6631\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6631 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-30-scaled-e1613455433811.jpg?resize=1170%2C814&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"814\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-30-scaled-e1613455433811.jpg?w=1786&amp;ssl=1 1786w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-30-scaled-e1613455433811.jpg?resize=300%2C209&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-30-scaled-e1613455433811.jpg?resize=1024%2C713&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-30-scaled-e1613455433811.jpg?resize=768%2C535&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-30-scaled-e1613455433811.jpg?resize=1536%2C1069&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6631\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Preparing healthy Elephant food at Kanta Elephant Sanctuary<\/p><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_elephants_be_trained\"><\/span><strong><em><span class=\"s1\">Should elephants be trained?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Isn\u2019t this at the crux of it all? Elephants should not be trained for entertaining humans, such as painting or performing circus acts. However, it is very clear that if elephants stay with humans, they need to follow the rules. This involves training.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">There are some horrible videos as evidence of elephants being tortured and cruelly treated to obey whilst being trained through a process called Phajaan. This literally means crushing which is a taming method subjecting elephants to physical and psychological torture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">At <strong>Patara Elephant Farm<\/strong>, the vets showed us the techniques their mahouts use to train the elephants, handling them safely while using positive reinforcement training programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6654\" style=\"width: 2058px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6654\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6654 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3681-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3681-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3681-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3681-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3681-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_3681-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6654\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vet works with the mahout at Patara Elephant farm to be able to examine the elephant&#8217;s feet.<\/p><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_you_beat_elephants_with_a_bullhook\"><\/span><strong><em><span class=\"s1\">Should you beat elephants with a bullhook?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">This one feels like a no brainer, no, of course, you shouldn\u2019t!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>However, we were told an elephant hook is an essential tool, used properly it can effectively control the movement of elephants, who we know have thick and tough skin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Hmmm, it still looks like a torture weapon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">I\u2019m thinking a taser or something from the \u2018more modern ways\u2019 would be less offensive, but then here I go again putting my ideas above tradition and what works.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6648 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Patara-Elephant-Farm-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"1170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Patara-Elephant-Farm-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Patara-Elephant-Farm-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Patara-Elephant-Farm-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Patara-Elephant-Farm-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Patara-Elephant-Farm-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Patara-Elephant-Farm-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Patara-Elephant-Farm-scaled.jpg?resize=230%2C230&amp;ssl=1 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_elephants_be_chained\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Should elephants be chained? <\/i><\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s5\">Not every elephant can be free, some are aggressive, <\/span><span class=\"s9\">especially adult male bulls, <\/span><span class=\"s5\">and a danger to local populations and destructive of local habitats. <\/span><span class=\"s1\">As with the bullhooks, chains and enclosed spaces are not seem to be stress factors to elephants according to the vets\u2026 the obvious other factor is how long the elephants are chained. Another consideration is the safety factor for both elephants and people. Which goes back to elephants following the rules when with humans\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6652\" style=\"width: 1194px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6652\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6652 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-16-scaled-e1613465682588.jpg?resize=1170%2C704&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-16-scaled-e1613465682588.jpg?w=1184&amp;ssl=1 1184w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-16-scaled-e1613465682588.jpg?resize=300%2C180&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-16-scaled-e1613465682588.jpg?resize=1024%2C616&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Elephant-Care-Media-Trip-Hi-res-16-scaled-e1613465682588.jpg?resize=768%2C462&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6652\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elephant chained at the elephant hospital<\/p><\/div>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_final_thoughts\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">My final thoughts<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s5\">I reflect<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> on some of the traditional ways of elephant handling that look so vile to those of us, the uninformed, who want to see animals run free, may not actually be harmful to elephant welfare. <\/span><span class=\"s5\">I learned<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> that sometimes when we think we are doing the right thing by not riding elephants, but buying them sugar cane to eat, and other acts that we may inadvertently harm the animals. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s5\">I realise<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> that I have looked at elephant welfare totally from my western lens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s5\">I respect<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> TAT\u2019s initiatives of communication, collaboration, and compromise in the complex environment and wish everyone well for the sake of the domesticated elephants in Thailand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s5\">I admire<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> all those wonderful working people who have given their lives to elephant welfare in Thailand, we were introduced to some of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s5\">I applaud<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> that tourism has played a very important part in Thai Elephant conservation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s5\">I understand<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> that for many of us an elephant encounter whilst on holiday in Thailand remains a highlight of our holiday in the Kingdom, and I recognise we need direction to ensure the support of the best ethical wildlife sanctuaries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s5\">I urge<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> you to consider supporting elephant welfare in Thailand. For further information please see the links below all welcome donations to support their work with elephant welfare in Thailand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s10\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thailandelephant.org\"><b>Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, <\/b><\/a><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Lampang:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>A government-run centre and elephant hospital. They offer an elephant foster program <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thailandelephant.org\/thai\/?page_id=3991\">here\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s10\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kantaelephantsanctuary.com\"><b>Kanta Elephant Sanctuary<\/b><\/a><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Chiang Mai: Seeing, feeling, and touching the elephants in the wild open space. Donating to sponsor an elephant <a href=\"https:\/\/kantaelephantsanctuary.com\/donate.html\">here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pataraelephantfarm.com\/\"><b>Patara Elephant Farm<\/b><\/a><\/span><span class=\"s1\">: Rescue, Recovery, Reproduction, Reintroduction for elephants with education and meaningful tourism sharing. Your support is urgently needed, donate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pataraelephantfarm.com\/donate\/\">here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\"><b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.poopoopaperpark.com\/en\/content\/11\/about-the-park\">Poopooelephant<\/a><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">: An eco-friendly, fun, outdoor museum park that introduces and explains the unique steps involved in making elephant poo into paper. <\/span>If you are interested in buying Elephant Poo products, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/shopee.co.th\/poopoopaperstore?smtt=0.0.9\">Shopee here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recommendations_from_readers\"><\/span>Recommendations from readers:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><a class=\"_3Bkfb _1lsz7\" href=\"https:\/\/elephantjunglesanctuary.com\/chiang-mai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-hook=\"linkViewer\"><u class=\"_3zM-5\">Elephant Jungle Sanctuary <\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<p><u class=\"_3zM-5\">Recommended by Inge at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.destinationexplorer.world\/post\/the-amazing-beauty-of-northern-thailand-a-country-to-fall-in-love-with\">Destinationexplorer.world. <\/a>\u00a0&#8220;<\/u>We did a lot of research to find an ethical and ecological sanctuary where the elephants are well-treated. This elephant sanctuary convinced us because of the good work they have done to create a positive change in the perception of elephants. (no poaching, riding, overworking, or abusing) We did the morning tour and had a lot of fun feeding, bathing, and washing the elephants there. Pick-up from your hotel in Chiang Mai is included in the price and you get a well-cooked Thai lunch&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/elephantcarerhome\/?ref=page_internal\">Elephant Carer Home<\/a> is a typical 3-generation enterprise that love their elephants and treats and trains them with positive reinforcement. Recommended by Laura in the comments below. Fundraising donation page <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.me\/elephantcarerhome\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Should you want to include any other suggestions for elephant sanctuaries in need of financial support please add them to the comments below.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6549 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3517-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3517-1-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3517-1-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3517-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3517-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3517-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">I feel confident in saying that whilst Thailand does not always have a good public image regarding elephant care, there is a tremendous amount of good work done behind the scenes. The elephant sanctuaries mentioned above have been chosen by TAT for their valuable efforts in this field. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Whilst I went with an open mind about elephant tourism, I also realised I went with my own preconceived ideas on the subject of Elephant Care tourism, some of them ethical, some of them cultural.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">There is an urgent need for tourist education and regulation of wildlife tourist attractions worldwide. I was happy to learn more about Thailand&#8217;s approach. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">It was a fabulous three-day of learning experience which challenged my opinions. I still have a view that elephants should be in the wild, but as this is not practical, my elephant tourism Baht will go into projects that had this as their number one objective\u2026 I only support the breeding of domesticated elephants where the primary purpose is to reintroduce them into the wild. Would I ride an elephant? Still no, but would I happily go for a wander beside an elephant with a mahout riding bareback, hell yes!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Phew! Thank you for reading with me until the end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><em>Elephant hugs to you!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-792\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/LWW_Logo-2.png?resize=300%2C86&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"86\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/LWW_Logo-2.png?resize=300%2C86&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/LWW_Logo-2.png?w=350&amp;ssl=1 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Further Reading:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tatnews.org\/2020\/12\/tat-showcases-elephant-care-experiential-learning-trip-in-lampang-and-chiang-mai\/\">TAT showcases the Elephant Care Experiential Learning trip<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fanclubthailand.co.uk\/how-to-choose-an-ethical-elephant-sanctuary-in-thailand\/\">How to choose an ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.responsiblethailand.co.uk\/green-tourism\/ethical-elephant-experiences-thailand\/\">Sanctuaries<span class=\"s11\">Nomad&#8217;s World <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nomadsworld.com\/ethical-elephant-sanctuary\/#:~:text=Truly%20ethical%20elephant%20sanctuaries%20limit,with%20the%20elephants%20at%20all.\">What makes an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.responsiblethailand.co.uk\/green-tourism\/ethical-elephant-experiences-thailand\/\">13 Ethical Elephant experiences in Thailand<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fanclubthailand.co.uk\/elephants-world-\/\">Elephant World Kanchanaburi<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fanclubthailand.co.uk\/helping-thailands-elephants-covid-19-pandemic\/\">Helping Thailand&#8217;s elephants during the Covid-19 pandemic<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s11\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thaielephantalliance.org\/en\/\">Thailand Elephant Alliance<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s11\"><a href=\"https:\/\/elephantreintroduction.blogspot.com\/\">Elephant Reintroduction Foundation<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s11\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.friendsoftheasianelephant.org\/?fbclid=IwAR2Dl-EaRKkdfg0Gtm5llW8ZEwivd-x4p_k6HEDW-xyXr_YTIAq_JwjyCA\">Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s11\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fodors.com\/world\/asia\/thailand\/experiences\/news\/elephant-tourism-is-way-more-complex-than-youd-imagine-the-thailand-example\">Fodors: Thailand&#8217;s Elephant tourism is more complex than you&#8217;d imagine<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The recent Daily Mail British newspaper headline stabs at my heart: &#8216;Rescuers battle to save starving elephant found &#8216;days from death&#8217;, covered in&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[608],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bangkok-blogger"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ 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