Thailands Dirty Secret – The Elephants of Thailand
Things have gotten so much better we have been invited for a overnight ride to go pick up two new elephants in Suren which is right on the border with Cambodia shut up it is 1:00 p.
M. we just checked out of our hotel. I am wearing like these little cutoff gum boots.
So I need to go buy some shoes. I can’t walk around this is way too hot for that so much swag luggage for days hey what’s good she how much Oh gets calculated out Oh 550 oh my gosh within about 25 seconds they went from 550.
I let on my little cry of disgust, and she’s like okay fine 300 all right no. I didn’t get any. I got Abby a jade ring here Blake got his girlfriend a little Samsung same same thing getting real creative with it.
So we just found some really legit knocks like this here is everything from like the Ray Ban print to like the hinges really good quality. I just bought three pairs that slated really quickly very handsome thank you all the goods Abby is gonna like this. I really got carried away, I’ll work it you’re a tiger no time to go to Serbian with Derek, and rescue some elephants.
So that moat right behind me this here is downtown Chiang Mai, and this entire 2 kilometer by 2 kilometer diameter is basically a defense system it was dug out back in the day Derek was telling us that there used to be four gates one gate was for the royal family one was for defense one was for commoners to go through, and one was for trade things have changed a little bit since the medieval days experience Thailand though glad to be traveling with a suitcase here we are so this is Elephant Nature Park little greeter hi. So all these dogs have different stories are all abused dogs who can rescue, and this guy right here is basically called the Fox he looks like a little tiny fox, and he was tempted ly eaten by the hill tribes apparently.
The Elephants of Thailand Photo Gallery
But somehow got rescued, and they have a rescue squirrel oh you fell from the tree, and had no fur wow this is a baby little bird oh you rescue all the animals since well looks like pucks Lee’s coming with me get the luggage buddy coming to Canada he is. So insistent he smells something in my bag that he really wants that hey stop hey stop chewing on my bag nope look you should, and closed in they’re gonna get cooked we’re off we have 12 hours ahead of us in that truck. So I actually thought we were going straight into a massive pickup truck turns out the pickup drivers, and the pickup trucks themselves are already waiting for us in surin.
So we’re going to be going down there in that. I’m just like stoked this is such an authentic Thai like elephant rescue experience like where else in the world would you get this this doesn’t happen very often. I mean they are probably only going to be rescuing like these two elephants, and then it’s going to be quite some time before they do another off like this.
So we were here at the perfect time. I can’t help. But feel like blacktops was meant to be happening right now.
And I’m men see right here like this is just. So cool. I just realized too that.
I have forgotten my cell phone at the head office. So hopefully. I get Wi-Fi somewhere communicate with Abby, and think.
I’m dead yes, and this is where we’re getting some dinner drinking fall English menu that’s okay we can use time menu where. I’m pretty easy. I could massaman curry okay, I’ll do just fried rice, and chicken camera yeah, and are you camera Kingdom in turn okay, and mahute yes my hood okay, and then we don’t really know him he just kind of tagged along Derek just came over, and told us that when we pick up the elephants yak she’s gonna be riding in the back of the truck with them the entire time that’s his first experience in bonding with them that’s where he builds a relationship from the ground up, and he said we can join you in the back with the elephant.
I’m really excited our next stop is undetermined oh my god. I’m sitting in the middle seat. So I don’t have like a window lien against cool oh this is our it yeah after a night of driving we have arrived here in Suren, and Derek was just telling me that syringe is kind of like become another elephant hub now people bring their elephants here.
Because there’s opportunity to make money with it, and as we saw driving in there was lots of different elephants all chained up would me, and whap on, and Bhumi is 85 boo up bond is around 45 elephant nature park has actually purchased them from the respective owners. Because they’re essentially being abused neglected the story is the 85 year old elephant fell over. Because of exhaustion, and they literally the owner before got a crane to lift her back up, and then put a saddle right back on her.
So she could do more trekking. So that’s kind of gives you an idea of what’s going on, and how these elephants are being treated they purchased not only the old one that had been tipped over. But they purchased her best friends that way when she comes back she still has a good friend with her, and she’s not going to be lacking that social aspect is elephants extremely social.
So you can see he uses the ear to control the elephant these are the. I think the owners are giving over control to elephant each Park you like me like giving up my me have been amended ah Cinelli do that well. I don’t know Wow yeah she’s just sliding in.
So what’s the point of all this is to bathe, and bring all can they drink the river water a risk to another what are they showing any signs of like distress or no. I would say she’s a whole girls are angry yeah yeah like people’s. I don’t think she likes him.
I don’t like. I can tell yeah she’s quite independent she could for very strong spirit no mind you she responds to commands to a point. I was especially if they have something that certain income right but.
I’m quite happy with her condition right now mm-hmm, and ability to travel some well that’s Pacha he’s the reckless symbol for Chong beer if you see the can they made so much money off of him look at the size of those tusks holy doesn’t look like he’s doing that well how messed up is this all these elephants have no more than 6 feet of chain that one over there is rocking back, and forth from insanity this whole enclosure we’re going to get the full story on it later clearly Derek was very set back he an elephant each Park paid for this area. Because he was supposed to be able to walk freely, and here he has chained up.
So many sad animals here absolutely insane that we do this these animals like look at it it has been rocking its back foot back, and forth, and its trunk in a circular motion for at least 20 minutes now, and now these elephants are not dancing to the music guys. I give you the rescue mobiles this is where the elephants are going in. So they’ve set up bracing on the side.
So that the elephants can get a bit of leeway. But they won’t completely like collapse against the wall they put down a foam padding on the floor. So if they do decide to lay down or fall down it won’t be painful it don’t go too close to any of them either okay we can do a short Walker yeah let’s do it not too much truckin like.
I said here they’re in there’s the the show young boys leave the worst life absolutely here it goes typically they’re shackled like here yeah short chains typically in the Sun, and the water, and for long periods of time yeah. So we built these shelters yeah where elephants yeah. I’m here that stronger looking ones right.
So you sponsored the shelter. So that they could at least be in a better condition than what’s going on without your help right what’s happening here is that is that kind of like your resources are being abused do that. I’m really pissed off about yeah, and they’ll be sorted out.
But those are the rescue vehicles like transformers keeping our world a little bit cleaner. So what would be the owners reason for not letting him roam freely Julian he wants control he’s fears losing the control if he’s not there commanding him all time Brett or chained him. Because he’s a magnificent boy yeah he’s master, and he fears damage to us that’s one of the biggest reason is for the animals to us death rather imperfect times like if he was rubbing against the concrete, and sharpening him, and all the time he’s gonna lose mass to the the trunk the tusks they’re not going to break.
But he can sharpen them, and he can whittle them down right worn down, and will be worn down somewhat, I’ll get the concrete is it illegal for him to sell a dead elephants tusks that’s an issue question that’s another long story yeah this beautiful shelter yeah oh yeah. But we’re gonna get this changed you’re getting. So big baby, and they got you shackled to look at her eyes she’s like step-by-step coming over.
But the shackles make it. So hard for her to walk. So sad people began a ball hit support my dad died we actually just found out that the same road we took last night from Chiang Mai – Suren we passed by exactly where a baby elephant was struck it was doing Street begging with its owner was hit by a bus, and instantly killed.
And I know this blogs like not a happy one normally my blogs are really up fee really like. I don’t know happy-go-lucky today is not one of those days but I think it’s a really important look especially after just coming from elephant nature park where.
I showed you guys how awesome elephants can be, and how happy they can be. I think this is a really important message oh look at you look at you oh look at your little truck oh. So sad arey Oh what happened to the moms trunk it’s like severed oh it’s been cut open.
So this right here is why elephant trekking, and your commercial elephant tourism needs to stop. Because when they’re not being trekked on they’re kept in these tiny little pens mal fed they’re beaten, and in some cases mutilated they’re so sad anytime you go into a circus anytime you ride on an elephant anytime you watch an elephant go painting, and you’ve paid that business money you’re actually supporting this sort of behavior.
So the really important thing is to educate your friends let them know about this when they come to Thailand, and ultimately tell them to support the sanctuaries. Because if sanctuary has become more popular that means that more businesses will convert to sanctuaries. Because there’s more money at the end of the day it’s all about money people need to feed their families people are self-interested, and the only way to curve the behavior of these Thai business owners is to bring the money into the sanctuary instead of places like this you can see the babies got little hairs on it Killman enough for a girl she’s like trying with all her will to like break the chain right now this right here hit me in the fields seeing that just like makes me feel like.
I could cry like how can someone let these animals live like that seven days a week it’s just insane bothers me a lot. So they have a nice foam pad there for some cushioning, and nice bracing on the side. So as comfortable as it possibly can be for an elephant to be in there there’s no doubt not going to be a fun 20-plus hours for that elephant.
But it’ll all be worth it once they arrive all right the trucks are rolling out it is time to head back to Elva Nature Park gosh look at the baby. So clumsy.
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